Psychiatric admissions to a general hospital II an epidemiological study

During 1982, 1.1/1000 of the health insured population in Alexandria were hospitalized for mental disorders. The rate of hospitalization was significantly higher for males. Schizophrenia was the main diagnosis accounting for 34.3% of cases; collectively psychoses accounted for 50.6% of cases and neurotic disorders for 21.3%. The mean age was highest for cases of organic psychosis [43.7 years] followed by affective psychosis [32.0 years] and epilepsy [32.6 years]. A positive family history for mental disturbances was greatest among psychotics [18.8%] and least among neurotics [7.8%]. Concerning stresses which may be a precipitating cause for psychiatric disturbances, those having personality disorders and addicts complained of work troubles [47.1%] and financial troubles [15.7%] more than other patients, while neurotics complained of family troubles [37.5%] more than others. Drug and alcohol dependence was greatest among those having personality disorders

Role playing: an educational experiment among doctors, nurses and social workers during a training course in maternal child health and family planning in Abbis II village

An educational experiment of role playing was implemented. The sample included twenty four [four doctors, ten nurses and ten social workers]. They were divided into five groups, each with different specialties. The results showed that personal problems came to the for front. The study showed that role playing was an effective method of education and of making people realize that problems are not easily solved, and people should be more understanding of each others problems

Psychiatric admissions to a general hospital

The present study examined the reasons for admission of psychiatric cases to the neuropsychiatry unit at Gamal Abdel-Naser Hospital in 1982, with the aim of identifying a group of admissions which may be managed as effectively but more efficiently on an ambulatory basis. Results indicated that 2 main reasons accounted for the majority of admissions: admissions to establish a diagnosis [except for fits] and admissions to control excited and /or dangerous cases. The former group was regarded as admissions that may be managed on an ambulatory basis. Such admissions accounted for 279 of the 711 psychiatric admissions [39.2%] and consumed 2473 of the 7323 days [33.7%] provided for psychiatric cases, with an average stay of 8.9 days per admission. The majority of cases admitted to establish a diagnosis [except for fits] [86.4%] were referred to the hospital by psychiatrists in the clinics of the Health Insurance Organization