Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: April-June | Volume: 4 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 34-41
Psychiatric Morbidity in Adolescents Brought to Psychiatry OPD in a Tertiary Centre in Mangalore
Dr Deepthi S1, Dr. Joylin. J. M2, Dr. Denzil Pinto3
PG Resident1, Assistant Professor2, Professor3,
Department of Psychiatry, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Corresponding Author: Dr. Joylin. J. M
ABSTRACT
Background: Adolescence is a crucial period of life where, major changes in physical, psychological, emotional and personality dimensions occur which can lead to stress and in turn may cause behavioral and emotional problems. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among adolescents across the globe from population based studies is nearly 20%. Poor mental health in adolescents is strongly related to declining social, educational and occupational functioning and poor quality of life.
Aim: To evaluate the frequency of different psychiatric disorders, the nature of symptoms and disorders and the relationship between sociodemographic profile and the psychiatric morbidity in the adolescents brought to the psychiatry outpatient clinic in FMMCH, Mangalore.
Methodology: 60 adolescents on consecutive sampling brought to the psychiatry OPD were evaluated based on history and mental status examination and were assessed using pediatric and adolescent symptom checklist (PSC-17) for the presence of psychopathology. The diagnosis of psychiatric disorder was made using the ICD 10 Diagnostic Criteria. Details of Socio-demographic status were collected using Kuppuswamy Socio-Economic Status Scale. Statistical Analysis was done using frequency, percentage, Chi- square tests.
Results: In our study, 53.3% scored positive on the PSC-17 questionnaire, but 86.7% had a psychiatric morbidity of which mood disorders were the commonest followed by adjustment disorder and mental retardation with significant behavioral abnormality.
Conclusion: There is a rise in the frequency of psychiatric morbidity in the adolescent age group which requires optimum attention at the earliest for a better socio-occupational functioning and quality of life.
Key words: Adolescents, psychiatric disorder, behavioral problems