Psychiatric Morbidity in Patients of Pulmonary Tuberculosis According to Sociodemographic Profile

ABSTRACT

Background: An association has been described between tuberculosis (TB) and common mental disorders. We aimed to evaluate the patterns of psychiatric morbidities in patients with pulmonary TB. Methods: This was a prospective study conducted over a period of 1 year. A total of 100 patients were recruited for the study. Baseline psychiatric morbidity was assessed after 2 weeks of diagnosis and at the end of an intensive phase (IP). Results: In the present study, 56% of patients with pulmonary TB had morbid baseline psychiatric disorders. The major depressive episode was the most common morbid psychiatric disorder (39%), followed by panic disorder (9%), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (6%), and agoraphobia (2%). The psychiatric morbidity dropped to 15%. Major depressive episode dropped to 13%, followed by GAD and panic disorder (1%) each at the end of an IP. Conclusion: Because of high burden of psychiatric morbidity associated with pulmonary TB, there is a need for psychiatric services to be made available to these patients.