Referrals by general practitioners to a primary health care psychiatric clinic: diagnostic status and Sociodemographic characteristics

This is a prospective study of new patients referred by general practitioners to a psychiatry clinic conducted within primary health care setting. Ninety six new patients [41 males and 55 females] were studied. Among the identified cases females were slightly more than males. The maximum psychiatric morbidity occurred at the age group 15-44 years and dropped sharply after the age of 45. Neurotic depression, anxiety state and anxiety- depressive state were the commonest identified psychiatric disorders [69%]. Neurotic depression occurred more among females, otherwise no notable diagnostic differences between the two sexes. The results were compared with those of relevant local and international studies

Emotional aspects of functional abdominal pain

This study aimed at estimating the prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders among a group of patients presenting to a gastroenterology clinic with recurrent or persistent abdominal pain as the main complaint, and for which no organic pathology was demonstrated. A one-stage case-identification method, using the Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HAD], was adopted. The total prevalence rate of anxiety was 51% and that of depression was 37%. The percentage of those who suffered both anxiety and depression was 29%. This makes a total morbidity rate of 59% [51 + 37 - 29]. A higher morbidity rate of both anxiety and depression was recorded among females

psychiatric clinic in a primary care setting: evaluating the experience

This is a 6 months prospective study of patients attending a psychiatric clinic in a primary care setting. Two hundred patients were seen, 73% of whom were aged 15-35 years. The male:female ratio was 2.3:1. The patients seen encompassed the entire range of psychiatric disorders. The age group and the male:female ratio are reverse of the findings of most other workers