ABSTRACT
Six patients who had delusional convictions that they were malodorous were followed up for between six months and four years. Difficulties encountered in clinical settings in differentiating overvalued ideas, delusions, and hallucinations arise from lack of clarity of psychopathological terminology. Schizophrenia and depression are closely related to the syndrome.
Subject(s)
Delusions/etiology , Odorants , Psychotic Disorders/complications , Adolescent , Adult , Depressive Disorder/complications , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Schizophrenia, Paranoid/complicationsABSTRACT
A retrospective analysis of the in-patients' case notes of 55 chronic epileptics admitted for psychiatric treatment to Kuwait Psychological Medicine Hospital revealed that the commonest seizure type was generalized grand mal epilepsy. Adverse effects on marriage, education and occupation were common. It is concluded that epileptics are more prone to have social difficulties, and that their marital status and fertility are far from satisfactory. The findings of the present study are similar to those reported in the literature.
Subject(s)
Cross-Cultural Comparison , Epilepsy/psychology , Neurocognitive Disorders/psychology , Sick Role , Social Adjustment , Adaptation, Psychological , Adolescent , Adult , Career Choice , Female , Humans , Kuwait , Male , Middle Aged , Social EnvironmentABSTRACT
First admission rates to the psychiatric hospital in Kuwait revealed that foreign housemaids as a whole had about five times the rate of Kuwaiti females. According to hospital diagnoses the housemaids had significantly more acute situational disturbances and mania, and less depressive illness and organic mental disorders. Regarding schizophrenia and paranoid state there was no significant difference between the two groups. It is recommended that good interpreters should be appointed as part of an appropriate staffing of the psychiatric hospital.
Subject(s)
Ethnicity/psychology , Household Work , Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Transients and Migrants/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Hospitalization , Hospitals, Psychiatric , Humans , Kuwait/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Referral and Consultation , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
One hundred and ninety four elderly subjects were studied, 133 of whom were living away from their families, in the only old people's home and in the only psychiatric hospital in Kuwait. They were compared to 61 consecutive elderly subjects attending a psychiatric out-patient clinic. Psychiatric, social and clinical characteristics of subjects admitted and those living with their families were analysed and related to recent socioeconomic changes and conditions prevailing in Kuwait. Higher admission rates were significantly related to female sex, the widowed and single status and Kuwaiti and Bedouin nationalities. Low income or housing problems, poor relationships to their families and/or relatives, absence of an interested family member, a small number of own children, referral by family members on account of disabilities, organic brain syndromes or chronic psychiatric disorder was also associated with higher admission rates. Sixty four percent of the residents of the old people's home had psychiatric illnesses in spite of the official policy of excluding the mentally ill from admission. Some of the above mentioned characteristics were similar to findings in other countries, but others e.g. the role of nationality and location of residence in admission to institutions were different. Planning social and medical services in Kuwait should take these findings into account.
