Psychiatric morbidity in patients attending clinics in gas affected areas in Bhopal
Sethi, B.B.; Sharma, M.; Trivedi, J.K.; Singh, H.
Indian Journal of Medical Research 86(Suppl): 45-50
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5340 PMID: 3440586 Document Number: 296286
To obtain information on the psychiatric consequences of the gas leakage at Bhopal, outpatients in Government clinics were evaluated. During a three month period and as part of a psychiatric service programme involving one clinic, only 208 patients with mental disorders were detected. Most of the subjects suffered from neurotic depression (45.2%) and anxiety state (34.7%) and they were females under 45 yr of age. In another series subjected to a randomized assessement of outpatients at 10 Government clinics using "self reporting questionnaire" and "present state examination", 22.6 per cent of the screened population was found to be suffering from mental disorders. Of the 193 patients detected, 37.3 per cent were suffering from neurotic depression, 24.9 per cent from anxiety state and 35.2 per cent from adjustment reaction.