Psychiatric morbidity in primary health care patients

This work was carried out to determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among patients attending primary healthcare clinics in one of the Gulf countries. A random sample of 274 primary healthcare patients was surveyed using the general health questionnaire [GHQ] and semi-structured clinical interview. According to GHQ, 37.2% of patients visiting primary healthcare clinics had psychiatric symptoms more than 7 degrees on the GHQ. However, when those patients were interviewed by the semi- structured clinical interview [SCIV] using DSM-IV criteria, the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity decreased to 25.5%. The commonest psychiatric disorders were somatoform disorders [17.5%], anxiety disorders [13.7%], mood disorders [10.7%] and adjustment disorders [9.8%]. The psychiatric morbidity was more common among females [42%] and the age group from 16 to 25 years [40%]. It was concluded that psychiatric morbidity is common among the primary healthcare patients, especially somatoform, anxiety, mood disorders and adjustment disorders

Prevalence of generalized anxeity disorders and its risk factors in a sample of schools and universities students [age 12-21 years]

This study determined the prevalence rate of generalized anxiety disorder [GAD] in a sample of Egyptian schools and university students and the risk factor related to this disorder. A random sample of 1200 students was screened using general health questionnaire [GHQ] and anxiety scale in the first stage, followed by semi-structured clinical interview according to DSM IV criteria to those patients scoring above 7 degrees in GHQ and 56 degrees in anxiety scale. The study revealed that the prevalence of GAD was 2.35% and the most important related risk factors were neurotic traits in childhood [15%], big family size [>5 members in the family] [12.1%] and parental separation or divorce [10%]

relationship between child abuse and later on drug abuse after puberty

This research design was built upon modals of equivalent groups and consisted of two groups: A dependent group consisted of 103 addicted males [age range 18-45 years, not ignorant and fulfilling all diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV for addiction] and a control group consisted of 103 members of the addicted families had no history of psychiatric disorders, free of any substance abuse and had GHQ score less than 4 and had the same educational and social levels. Clinical psychiatric interview, child trauma questionnaire and the general health questionnaire were used. The results indicated that child abuse was much higher in the experimental than the control group, especially its severe form. Physical abuse and addiction were more common in the university graduated group. The main characters of the addicted persons who had abused child were: Ages from 25 to 29 years, heroin addict [40.2%], having intravenous injection [42.7%], 5-9 years duration [32%], smoking [49%], personality disorder, especially antisocial, medical illness, an increase in the psychological suffering and having high score on GHQ

Experential reality: a comparative study between psychiatric patient and healthy individual

In this work, the experimental reality and to what extent it can be believable were studied by comparing an experimental group of mentally disordered patients and healthy individuals as a control group. The general health questionnaire [GHQ.30] was applied on 218 persons [109 in the experimental group and 109 in the control group]. The psychiatric diagnosis was done by semi-structured interview and diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Psychiatric Disorders, Tenth Edition [ICD.10]. The results showed that the prevalence of Estikhara pray is more in the healthy individuals than the psychiatric disordered ones. The Estikhara pray done with a high ratio by patients with adjustment disorders and non-organic sexual disorders and with a low ratio by mood disordered patients