Psychiatric morbidity among disabled clients of the rehabilitation sheltered workshop- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to assess the psychosocial needs of persons with disability of the Rehabilitation Sheltered Workshop (RSW) of the DSWD as well as screen for psychiatric illness.METHODOLOGY: There were 38 persons with various disabilities enrolled at the RSW. They were interviewed and screened using the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ).RESULTS: About a third (34.21%) were married and 28.94% were single. Fifty percent were physically disabled i.e. amputees or with deformities of the extremities; 34.21% were blind the remaining 15.78% had a variety of disabilities e.g. deafness, facial deformity or speech impairment. The mean age was 45.5 years old. Based on the SRQ 38.64% of the visually disabled clients scored positive for mood/anxiety while 53.84% scored positive for psychosis; while 52.63% of the orthopedic clients scored positive for mood/anxiety and an even higher 73.68% scored positive for psychosis. For the other handicapped clients,33.33% scored positive for mood/anxiety and 50.00% scored positive for psychosis.CONCLUSION: Majority (63.16%) of the 38 clients at the RSW were psychotic and only 44.73% were found to have mood/ anxiety symptoms, thus the need for psychiatric follow up as well as initiation of psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions for these clients.