A Study Of Prevalence Of Major Depressive Disorder In Patients Primarily Have Headache As A Symptom

ABSTRACT

Given the stigma regarding psychiatric illnesses in our country, it is common for patients to visit the O.P.D. with the primary generalized complain which requires a medical personnel to create a rapport and unmask the underlying stressor. Based on surveys like these, training modules can be developed for General practitioners and Community Level Health care workers to create awareness and unmask underlying stressor. Aims andObjectives1 To establish the prevalence of M.D.D. in patients reporting headache as their primary symptom 2To establish co-existence of M.D.D. with Headache disorders 3To quantify the severity of M.D.D. (if present) Materials and MethodologyPatients coming to O.P.D. of a Private multi-speciality hospital, having full time psychiatry facilities, primarily for treatment of Headache were studied. The patients were first exposed to International Classification of Headache, Then Mini Psychiatric Scale and then if the patients came positive for MDD then they were exposed to HDRS. Result and DiscussionThe main findings of our study are Maximum proportion of patients presenting to a General Hospital O.P.D. with the primary complain of Headache cannot be classified into a particular type of Headache as per I.C.H. Prevalence of Headache is more common in Females as compared to Males. Prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder is also more common in Females as compared to Males. The prevalence of Moderate type of Major Depressive Disorder is the most common amongst the various grades of M.D.D. this is consistent in both the sexes. The co-existence of M.D.D. was most rampant with Tension Type Headache and Least common with Cluster type Headache. ConclusionThe studyshows how frequently and rampantly Headache and Major Depressive Disorder co-exist and it highlights the need to train the staff and doctors at the Primary and Community Health-care level to explore and create a rapport with the patients visiting the O.P.D. to get to the root of their problems and make sure that the stigma associated with Psychiatric illnesses doesn’t lead to people not opening up to the physician, directly increasing the burden of Psychiatric morbidities on the country