Four year follow-up of heroin addicts: drug use and outcome

To study outcome status of Heroin addicts on follow-up four year after initial detoxification. Longitudinal study involving 83 Heroin addicts initially detoxified as in patients and subsequently followed up at home, at specific intervals. Department of Psychiatry, Services Hospital, Allama Iqbal Medcial College and Department of Psychiatry, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore. Eighty three heroin addicts initially admitted for detoxification at Drug Abuse Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry, Services Hospital, Lahore in 1990. Main outcome measures: Information abtained through semi structured interviews with the patients and/or their families, analysis of urine samples for heroin metabolites. At four year follow-up 22 [26.51%] patients had shifted to a new locality, four [4.82%] patients were in prison, 2 patient [2.42%] died and 6 patients [7.23%] had provided a wrong address. Of the 49 patients of the total sample [59%] who were personally contacted [24.49%] were abstinent whilst [75.51%] were still using heroin. A comparison of relapse rates at six month and four year follow-up showed that of the 55 patients examined on both occasions in 45 patients [88.23%] the status at six months persised at four years. The low rate of abstinence form heroin at four years follow-up [10.20%] confirmed by urine screening, is a cause for concern and highlights the need to review our current methods of dealing with the problem of the heroin dependents

Obsessive compulsive disorder a profile of fifty patients

This study describes a demographic profile of patients suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [OCD] in a Pakistani setting. A total of 50 patients [26 Males and 24 Females] fulfilling the DSMIII-R criteria for OCD were examined. Majority of patients [92%] experienced their first symptoms of OCD between 10-40 years of age. Mean age of onset of these symptoms, roughly equal for both sexes, was 24.7 years. 25 patients [50%] were single, 40 patients [80%] had received some form of education. Precipitants prior to the onset of first symptoms of OCD were reported by 32 patients [64%]. 12 patients [24%] gave history of previous attacks of similar symptoms. Obsessional traits as part of premorbid personality were found in 34 patients [68%], cleanliness being the commonest. Our work highlights the need to study Psychiatric disorders in their original socio-cultural setting

Personology of breast and bottle fed children

Much work has been done on advantages and disadvantages of bottle feeding regarding medical point of view but the aspects of personality make up with respect to mode of feed have yet to be explored in detail Present study highlights some psychological aspects of personality of the children [aged 5 to 10 years] who were breastfed or bottlefed during their lactation period. After collecting the data of more or less matched groups of both breast and bottlefed it was seen that breastfed babies are more psychologically secure and show less emotional problems, as compared to bottlefed who are less secure and show more emotional conflicts