Symptomatology of obsessive-compulsive disorder

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of religion on the symptomatology of Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder. Fifty patients all Muslims, 36 males and 14 females, suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder [OCD] were studied, in order to assess the various forms and contents of obsessions and compulsions in our culture Five types of obsessions were identified; namely doubts, thinking, fear, impulses and images in descending order of their frequency; Compulsions included repetition of prayers and / or their associated washing, cleaning and checking rituals. The content of obsession and compulsions in decreasing order of frequency were religious, contamination, inanimate impersonal, aggression, sex and death. This study reflects the frequency that religion accords as content to various obsessions and compulsions. Seventy Eight% patients who were suffering from severe to extreme OCD on Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale were not willing for admission in Psychiatry unit but continued taking medical advice at an out-patient level. Forty% of patients contacted general medical practitioners for help so it is recommended that primary care physicians should be encouraged to effectively diagnose and treat this condition. Associated features of anxiety and depression were seen in 54% cases, therefore it is recommended that screening OCD should be a routine part of every mental state examination in psychiatric practice, particularly in patients who present with anxiety or depression. The impact of these findings in terms of psychological method of treatment, such as cognitive behavioural therapy could be significant in islamic culture. It is suggested that further studies should be carried out to complement the pharmacological treatment

Trastornos específicos de determinadas culturas / Specific disorders of determined cultures

Algunos trastornos mentales ocurren específicamente en culturas limitadas, como por ejemplo: pibloktoq, windigo, latah, amok y susto. Son cuadros peculiares prácticamente ausentes en otras culturas, lo que hace imposible una comparación. Algunos desórdenes son tan frecuentes en determinada población, que a veces los observadores dejan de reconocer sus aspectos patológicos, como ocurre en Suiza con la neurosis obsesiva de Putzwut. otros cuadros aparecen en una determinada población en determinado período, como la calentura de los marineros, un súbito frenesí y a veces epidémico que los afectaba entre los siglos XVIII y XIX. Estas peculiaridades no se restringen sólo a los trastornos, pues surgen también en el comportamiento individual y social de algunas culturas. En este ensayo el autor relaciona los principales desórdenes mentales estudiados por la etnopsiquiatría, conocida como trastornos Específicos de culturas, Síndromes exóticos o Desórdenes étnicos