Frequency of depression, anxiety and stress in patients referred for endoscopy with symptoms of dyspepsia

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to see the frequency of anxiety, depression and stress in patients with dyspeptic symptoms referred for endoscopy

DESIGN: Cross sectional study

SETTING: Department of medicine and psychiatry Baqai Medical University, Fatima hospital, Gadap, Karachi

DURATION: The study was conducted from Jan 2011 to Jun 2011

METHOD: Patients referred from department of medicine with symptoms of dyspepsia were assessed at department of psychiatry Baqai University before endoscopy

A total of 40 patients, fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled for the study and their demographic variables were obtained using a Performa specially designed for this purpose. Urdu version of DASS [Depression Anxiety Stress Scale] was administered to the selected sample to establish the presence of three emotional states--anxiety, depression and stress. The DASS is a 42-item self report instrument designed to measure the three inter-related negative emotional states of depression, anxiety and tension/stress. The findings are mentioned in the results

RESULTS: A total of 40 patients comprising 29 females and 11 males ranging between 15-70 years of age with a mean age of 32.8 years completed the study. In the studied sample of 40 patients, 82.5% had anxiety, 60% had depression and 67.5 % had stress. Moreover 80% of sample group were found to have inflammatory changes on endoscopy and in this group anxiety was the most prominent emotional state. In the remaining 20% who had no inflammatory findings on endoscopy, depression, anxiety and stress were equally prevalent

CONCLUSION: Emotional disturbances in the form of anxiety, depression and stress were frequently seen in patients suffering from dyspepsia and anxiety was the most dominant among these three negative emotional states. Evaluation of anxiety in the management of dyspepsia is suggested

Psychiatric morbidity in medical, surgical and gynecological in -patient

The Present study aims i] to assess the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in hospitalized medical, surgical and gynecological patients and irrespective of their diagnoses [if] to see if there is a difference in prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among these specialties. Non randomize, cross sectional observational study. A tertiary care 300 bedded multidisciplinary teaching hospital of Baqai Medical University, located in the suburbs of Karachi Pakistan. Patients: One hundred and four in-patients; medicines 32, surgery 34, gynecology 38, males 44, females 60; mean age 34.5. AKUADS [Aga Khan University Anxiety and Depression Scale] an indigenous and validated screening instrument for anxiety-depression syndromes in Urdu which is the national language. 38 patients scored positively giving an overall prevalence of 36.5% for anxiety and depression in hospitalized medical, surgical and gynecological patients. There was a marked difference in prevalence among medical [prevalence 61.1%] surgical [prevalence 32.3%] and gynecological [prevalence 18.4%] patients. [1] There is high prevalence of anxiety and depression among admitted medical, surgical and gymecological patients [36.5%] [2] Prevalence in medical in-patients [61.1%] is almost twice as high as in surgical in-patients.[32.3%] and about three and half times as compared to gynecological patients [18.4%]