Publication:

Assessment of socio-demographic determinants of psychiatric patients attending psychiatry outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital of Central India

Background Mental disorders are among the most burdensome in the world, and their burden will increase over the next decades. The mental and behavioral disorders account for about 12% of the global burden of disease. By 2020, it is likely to increase to 15%. Depression, OCD, schizophrenia, anxiety, phobia and bipolar disorders constitute the top 10 conditions contributing to the global burden of disease among mainly the age group of 15-44 years. In India, little is known about the extent, severity and unmet need of treatment of mental disorders. The objective of the study was to assess the socio-demographic determinants of psychiatric patients.

Methods This was an observational cross sectional study which was undertaken in a psychiatric outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary care hospital (S.G.M.H) affiliated to S. S. Medical College Rewa, MP, India. The total sample size was 108; it was collected randomly by face to face interviews with the help of pre-designed questionnaire based proforma. All new cases were selected in the study. Duration of study was three months i.e. from 1st November 2014 to 30 January 2015. Data were analysed by using EPI info 2000.

Results Out of total 108 interviewed patients, 59.25% were males 40.74% were female; most of them (45.37%) were belong to age group of 21-40 years. Mental disorders (78.70%) were more common in un-married or separated patients. In case of educational status most of them (87.96%), belong to low education status. Depression was most common mental illness 43 (39.81%) among of all types of disorders.

Conclusions As per the findings of the present study it can be concluded that there must be a kin observation for prevention and control of mental disorders over particularly low educational status group and unmarried/separated group of people hence mental disorders are more common among of those group. Infact we need more studies for validate our findings.