Disability in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Mood disorder at General Hospital Psychiatry Unit.

Aim: To compare the disability in the persons with Schizophrenia and persons with Bipolar Mood Disorder by using IDEAS from a GHPU Mental Health Treatment Users. Objectives: 1.To assess the level of disability in the area of self care, interpersonal activities, communication and understanding and in the area of work in persons with Schizophrenia and in persons with Bipolar Mood Disorder. 2. To evaluate & compare the extent of disability found in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Mood Disorder. Method: Thirty individuals with schizophrenia and thirty individuals with Bipolar Mood Disorder along with significant caregiver were assessed by administering IDEAS. The data was analyzed to prioritize the need for psychosocial interventions along with pharmacological interventions; to reduce disability during hospitalization. Individuals with co-morbid condition and illness duration less than two year were excluded. Result: Majority of persons with Schizophrenia had severe, moderate, profound disability in psychosocial role functioning where as most of the persons with Bipolar Mood Disorder had only mild to moderate disability. Conclusion: Disability was found to be more in persons with Schizophrenia compared to persons with Bipolar Mood Disorder.

A comparative study of disability in long stay patients versus Outpatients in a Psychiatric Hospital.

Background: Disability associated with mental illness is a major contributor to the global burden of disease. The present study was undertaken to assess and compare the disability in long stay patients versus outpatients in a psychiatric hospital using Indian Disability Evaluation Assessment Scale (IDEAS). Methods: Patients suffering from chronic mental illness included in the study. Indian Disability Evaluation Assessment Scale (IDEAS) was applied. Disability was assessed in these patients on all domains of IDEAS. Results: Majority of outpatients (n=13) had percentage of disability (<40%) compared to only 4 inpatients. Conclusions: IDEAS, a new instrument for quantifying and certifying disability in psychiatric patients is useful not only for the outpatients but also for inpatients. Chronic mental illnesses affect all areas of daily functioning, thus posing greater challenge for the rehabilitation of patients and their inclusion in the mainstream.

Characteristics of institutionalized disabled in Saudi Arabia

The purpose of the study is to describe the characteristics of the disabled in institutionalized care in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All institutions for the disabled in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A structured questionnaire was completed on each disabled subject by health officials responsible for their care in a cross-sectional study. The health officials under the supervision of the physicians in the Ministry of Social Affairs, obtained additional information from the health records of either the parents or the care providers of the disabled The major items of information were the demography, family history and types of physical disability or associated diseases of the subjects. Information was available on a total of 2,275 subjects of which 61.7% were males and 38.7% were females. Seventy percent were below the age of 20 years. Nearly all subjects [99.2%] were either unemployed or unemployable. The majority of subjects had a combination of disability of which dumbness [63.8%] and cerebral palsy [51.6%] were the main diagnosis while epilepsy was the most common disease. Motor disability included quadriparesis [29.3%], paraplegia [8.6%], hemiplegia [4.2%] and monoplegia [3.2%]. The major factors associated with these disabilities were incomplete immunization, previous infections and perinatal problems. The findings showed a high frequency of children and young adults in institutionalized care with low employment potential. The frequency of disabilities can be reduced if efforts are directed towards factors associated with occurrences of dumbness and cerebral palsy which can be associated with epilepsy and other disabilities

handicapped child: current concepts in management and rehabilitation

Handicapped children are permanently impaired such that developmental potential is limited. Manifestations of handicap are varied, often multiple and include a wide range of body systems. The disability process needs to be viewed as a "human condition" involving bio-psycho-social determinants and continuing the traditional module of illness to the points of impairment, disability and handicap. Defining these processes is essential in order to outline strategies of successful rehabilitative management. The role of a Child Developmental Institute for Neuro-Developmental-Behavioural Disorders is a valuable comprehensive centre of evaluation and multidisciplinary rehabilitation. In addition parental support and alliance in the therapeutic services play major roles. Institutional care sometimes becomes indicated