RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To determine the pattern of psychiatric morbidity prevalent among leprosy patients and to compare it with two control groups; those suffering from Tinea vesicolor and Normal subjects. DESIGN: Eighty-eight leprosy patients were matched for age and sex with those suffering from Tinea vesicolor as well as normal subjects. The subjects were assessed for psychiatric morbidity through a clinical interview with PSE-9. RESULTS: The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among leprosy patients (580/1000) was significantly more than those with tinea vesicolor patients (182/1000) and normal subjects (148/1000) (p < 0.05). Depressive illness was the most common diagnosis in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Leprosy patients are more likely to manifest with psychiatric illness than those suffering from Tinea vesicolor and normal subjects.
Assuntos
Países em Desenvolvimento , Hanseníase/epidemiologia , Transtornos Mentais/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Transtornos de Ansiedade/diagnóstico , Transtornos de Ansiedade/epidemiologia , Transtornos de Ansiedade/psicologia , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Comorbidade , Estudos Transversais , Transtorno Depressivo/diagnóstico , Transtorno Depressivo/epidemiologia , Transtorno Depressivo/psicologia , Feminino , Humanos , Entrevista Psicológica , Hanseníase/diagnóstico , Hanseníase/psicologia , Masculino , Transtornos Mentais/diagnóstico , Transtornos Mentais/psicologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Nigéria , Fatores de Risco , Esquizofrenia/diagnóstico , Esquizofrenia/epidemiologia , Tinha Versicolor/diagnóstico , Tinha Versicolor/epidemiologia , Tinha Versicolor/psicologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
One hundred confirmed leprosy patients, all of them migrated from elsewhere, were examined for psychiatric co-morbidity. Forty-six of them were from an 'ashram' and the others were from a slum area. 76% of the patients were found to be having psychiatric illness. Of these, 55% were having neurotic depression and 21% had anxiety neurosis. Single, unemployed, socio-economically backward and patients with physical deformities were suffering significantly more often with psychiatric symptoms. Psychiatric morbidity was found to be more frequent in the patients staying in slum than in those in the 'ashram' where they had some security.