Citation

Adeyemi JD. J. Psychosom. Res. 1996; 41(5): 427-433.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/s0022-3999(96)00194-8

PMID

9032707

Abstract

The 77 (47 females, 30 males) in-patient referrals to the Psychiatric Department of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, over a 1-year period, were compared with a control sample of 75 (45 females, 30 males) unreferred patients. The low referral rate of 0.8%, after excluding deliberate self-harm (relatively infrequent in Nigeria), was comparable to reports in Western literature. Treatable minor psychiatric morbidity, mainly anxiety and depressive disorders, occurred in 41.3% of the controls. Sixty-eight percent of those referred had definite mental disorders, most commonly psychoses (50.7%), especially delirium (29.9%). Infectious disorders, notably Salmonella typhi infection, were the most predominant physical etiological factors. The results are discussed and the implications highlighted.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescent; Adult; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Demography; Female; Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; Infant; Male; Mental Disorders; Middle Aged; Nigeria; Patient Transfer; Prospective Studies; Referral and Consultation