Frequency of obsessive compulsive symptoms in depression: A hospital-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of obsessive compulsive symptoms in patients suffering from depression. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching, Sialkot, Pakistan, from February 2014 to March 2017, and comprised patients suffering from depression. Every patient was examined by a consultant psychiatrist or a senior medical officer in psychiatry, and a psychologist to establish clinical diagnosis of depression according to the tenth revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Adult patients suffering from depression were included. Patients with severe physical illnesses, other psychiatric illnesses, current, past or family history of obsessive compulsive disorder and drug abuse were excluded. Beck Depression Inventory and Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale were also administered. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: Of the 5,127 patients, 2,318(45.21%) were males and 2,809(54.79%) females. The mean age of the male and female patients was 35.17±12.39 years (range: 18-73 years) and 33.67±13.27 years (range: 18-70 years), respectively. Besides, 1,991(38.83%) patients had moderate depression, 1,647(32.13%) had mild depression and 1,489(29.04%) had severe depression. Moreover, 1,673(32.63%) patients had obsessive compulsive symptoms, including 497(29.70%) patients with mild depression, 599(35.80%) with moderate depression and 577(34.49%) with severe depression. CONCLUSIONS: Around one-third participants had obsessive compulsive symptoms.

Study of physio-psychological effects on traffic wardens due to traffic noise pollution; exposure-effect relation.

BACKGROUND: Noise pollution has increased to alarming extent in most of the urban areas in Pakistan. It is assumed even more perilous than air and water pollution due to its direct acute and chronic physio-psychological effects. The objective of this study is to analyze and evaluate the psychological and physiological effects caused by traffic noise on traffic wardens and to find relation type between exposure time and effect. METHODS: Three wardens check posts near roads were selected for survey in Taxila and Islamabad cities of Pakistan. Survey conducted included noise measurements at aforementioned check posts for one month and Performa based interviews of traffic wardens. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of results showed that noise levels varied between 85-106 dB hence violating OSHA regulations. Major psychological effects found in wardens were aggravated depression 58%, stress 65%, public conflict 71%, irritation and annoyance 54%, behavioral affects 59% and speech interference 56%. Physiological effects found were hypertension 87%, muscle tension 64%, exhaustion 48%, low performance levels 55%, concentration loss 93%, hearing impairment 69%, headache 74% and cardiovascular issue 71%. Relation between exposure time and effects were evaluated by using simple regression test in excel. Percentage of psychological and physiological effects in wardens varied with the exposure time; aggravated depression (R(2) = 0.946, P = 0.133), stress suffering (R(2) = 0.014, P = 0.173), public conflict (R(2) = 0.946, P = 0.133), irritation and annoyance (R(2) = 0.371, P = 0.137), behavioral affects (R(2) = 0.596, P = 0.0616) and speech interference (R(2) = 0.355, P = 0.445), hypertension (R(2) = 0.96, P = 0.00095) and cardiovascular issue (R(2) = 0.775, P = 0.044).