Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: August | Volume: 6 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 222-233
Medical Comorbidity in Inpatients with Psychiatric Disorders>
Dr. Pavithra P. Rao1, Dr. Preethi Rebello2, Dr. A. T. Safeekh3, Dr. P. John Mathai4
1Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India. 575002.
2Senior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India. 575002.
3Professor and HOD of Psychiatry, FMMC, Mangalore, Karnataka, India. 575002.
4Professor of Psychiatry, JMMC, Thrissur, Kerala, India. 680005.
Corresponding Author: Dr Preethi Rebello
ABSTRACT
Background: Comorbid Medical in Psychiatric patients is under-recognized, underdiagnosed, under-evaluated and undertreated. Psychiatric patients with co-occurring medical disorders are found to have severe symptoms, earlier age of onset, inadequate response to drugs, poor recovery, decreased quality of life and unfavourable course and outcome.
Aims: 1. To evaluate the frequency and nature of medical comorbidity in inpatients with psychiatric disorders.
2. To study the relationship between medical comorbidity and socio-demographic factors and the clinical variables of the psychiatric disorders.
Method/ Materials: In-patients with psychiatric disorders were evaluated for the presence of medical comorbidity and its presence was compared with socio-demographic details, clinical variables and with the psychiatric disorder. Results obtained were analyzed with IBM SPSS statistics 21 using Pearson’s Chi-square test or Fisher’s Exact T test.
Results: 152 (50.7 %) patients had comorbid medical disorder. Most common medical comorbidity was diabetes mellitus (n=55, 36.18%) followed by hypertension (n=30, 19.73%). Sixty eight (22.66%) patients had more than one comorbid medical disorders. Age, Marital Status, Socio-economic status, Total duration of the disorder, number of past episodes, Course of the disorder and Body mass index were found to have statistically significant relation with presence of medical disorder. Bipolar affective disorders was the only disorder with a statistically significant relation to the presence of comorbid medical disorder (N=85, 59.4%). Mood disorders were found to have highly significant relation to the occurrence of medical disorders.
Conclusion: Medical comorbidity is common among patients with psychiatric disorder. Early diagnosis and treatment will reduce significant morbidity and mortality rate.
Key words: Medical disorders, Comorbidity, Psychiatric disorders, in-patients, mood disorder.
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