Minor Psychiatric Morbidity in Primary Health Care: Prevalence, Nature and Severity

• Published in: International journal of social psychiatry 1993, Vol.39 (3), p.159-166
• Main Authors: El-Rufaie, Omer E.F., Absood, Gamil H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology; Anxiety Disorders - therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder - therapy; Developing Countries; Female; Headache - diagnosis; Headache - epidemiology; Headache - therapy; Humans; Hypochondriasis - diagnosis; Hypochondriasis - epidemiology; Hypochondriasis - therapy; Incidence; Male; Medical sciences; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Middle Aged; Patient Care Team - utilization; Patients; Personality Disorders - diagnosis; Personality Disorders - epidemiology; Personality Disorders - therapy; Primary health care; Primary Health Care - utilization; Psychiatric disorders; Psychiatric epidemiology; Psychiatry; Psychological tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Tropical medicine; United Arab Emirates; United Arab Emirates - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0020-7640; 1741-2854
• DOI: 10.1177/002076409303900302

The Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) (Goldberg et al. 1970) was applied in a study investigating the prevalence rate, nature and severity of minor psychiatric disorders among U.A.E. nationals attending a primary health care centre in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). The total prevalence rate of minor psychiatric morbidity, among the group of attenders who were interviewed, was 27.6%. The morbidity was higher among females (31.9%), than males (20.3%). The highest morbidity rate among the entire sample occurred among the 35-54 year age group. The commonest diagnoses encountered were neurotic depression (55%), anxiety- depressive states (13.3%) and anxiety states (11.7%). The distribution of diagnostic entities was similar among males and females except for anxiety-depressive states which were more common in females. The prevalence of neurotic depression and anxiety-depression states were highest in the middle age group, while anxiety states were highest among the young age group. The overall severity rate (OSR) among the identified cases was found to be ranging between mild and moderate severity.