comparison of life events in depressive illness and dissociative [conversion] disorders

To compare the nature, number and timings of the stressful life events prior to dissociative [conversion] disorders and depressive illness. Comparative study. Place and duration of the study: Psychiatry Unit, Government Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar from December 2003 to December 2004. We recruited dissociative [conversion], depressed and normal control subjects [N=225] divided into three groups, details regarding life events over one year period by using Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale was obtained. Statistical analyses yielded support for the hypotheses that stressful life events are associated with dissociative [conversion] disorders and depressive illness. No significant difference was found in scores on PSLES for dissociative [conversion] [n=75, M=114.51+28.67] and depressive groups [n=75, M=113.75+30.09] [t [148] =-.158, p< .874]. The nature and number of life events reported by dissociative [conversion] [n=75 M=2.09] and depression groups [n=75; M=2.21] and the time that preceded the onset of illness also did not differ significantly. It was accomplished by the findings of the current research that stressful life events preceding depressive illness and dissociative [conversion] disorders were almost of similar nature, type and intensity and temporal relationship was also alike

Family functioning among depressive and dissociative [conversion] patients

To campare the family functioning, level of depression, anxiety and histrionic personality traits among depressive and dissociative [conversion] patients. A cross-sectional study. The Psychiatry Unit of Government Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, on depressive anddissociative [conversion] patients admitted from January to May 2004. Purposive sampling technique was used for the assignment of 75 patients [n=75] with depressive illness and 75 patients [n=75] with dissociative [conversion] disorders groups who fulfilled International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision [ICD 10], criteria. Test package was administered individually to all the patients and scores compared for the groups. On family APGAR scale, no significant difference [t=-2.472, p=0.16] was found between the scores of the two groups. Patients with depressive illness scored high on Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression with mean score of 26.92 and on Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety with mean score of 23.45, while dissociative group scored high on Hysteria [Hy] sub-scale of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory [MMPI] with mean score of 13.17. Dysfunctional family pattern is one of the contributing factor in developing and maintaining mental illnesses like depression and dissociative [conversion] disorders

Demographic profile of patients with epilepsy in a community clinic

To study the Demographic profile of patients with Epilepsy. A descriptive study of five hundred patients with Epilepsy was counducted in, Ahbab Hospital, [Psychiatric Epilepsy clinic] Ravi Road, Lahore. All patients presented with seizures during that period were included in the study. Their detailed history and appropriate investigations were recorded on a study proforma. Epilepsy was classified according to EEG findings. Out of a total Five hundred patients with Epilepsy who visited Ahbab Hospital majority [62.9%] were of low socio-economic status and belong to rural areas of Pakistan. Males had Epilepsy [58%] more often compared to females [42%]. The most common type was Generalized Tonic Clonic Seizure.70% of the patients came with Epilepsy only, 13.0%were having Depression and 10.1%were Mental Retardation and 4.1%had a problem of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. The results of the study conclude that Epilepsy is more common among population with low socioeconomic status in the rural areas and dominantly involves the males.43% of the subjects were suffering from Generalized Tonic Clonic Seizures. The risk factors for developing Epilepsy include a positive family history of Epilepsy. Epilepsy is an important health problem. Identification of Demographic profile in a hospital setting will lead to more opportunities to improve preventive measures and quality of life in rural areas. It will also improve knowledge among rural backgrounds and health officials on the problems associated with this disease