Abstract
Background: Screening for psychiatric disorders in primary care can improve the detection rate and helps in preventing grave consequences of unrecognised and untreated psychiatric morbidity. This is relevant to the Malaysian setting where mental health care is now also being provided at primary care level. The aim of this paper is to report the prevalence of psychiatric illness in a semi-urban primary care setting in Malaysia using the screening tool Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in a semi-urban primary healthcare centre located south of Kuala Lumpur. Systematic random sampling was carried out and a total of 267 subjects completed the PHQ during the study period. Results: The proportion of respondents who had at least one PHQ positive diagnosis was 24.7% and some respondents had more than one diagnosis. Diagnoses included depressive illness (n = 38, 14.4%), somatoform disorder (n = 32, 12.2%), panic and anxiety disorders (n = 17, 6.5%), binge eating disorder (n = 9, 3.4%) and alcohol abuse (n = 6, 2.3%). Younger age (18 to 29 years) and having a history of stressors in the previous four weeks were found to be significantly associated (p = 0.036 and p = 0.044 respectively) with PHQ positive scores. Conclusion: These findings are broadly similar to the findings of studies done in other countries and are a useful guide to the probable prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in primary care in other similar settings in Malaysia.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | International Journal of Mental Health Systems |
| Volume | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Jun 2009 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Policy
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Phychiatric Mental Health
Cite this
Psychiatric morbidity among adult patients in a semi-urban primary care setting in Malaysia. / ZamZam, Ruzanna; Thambu, Maniam; Midin, Marhani; Omar, Khairani; Kaur, Pervesh.
International Journal of Mental Health Systems. Vol. 3 2009. 13.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
}
TY - CHAP
T1 - Psychiatric morbidity among adult patients in a semi-urban primary care setting in Malaysia
AU - ZamZam, Ruzanna
AU - Thambu, Maniam
AU - Midin, Marhani
AU - Omar, Khairani
AU - Kaur, Pervesh
PY - 2009/6/18
Y1 - 2009/6/18
N2 - Background: Screening for psychiatric disorders in primary care can improve the detection rate and helps in preventing grave consequences of unrecognised and untreated psychiatric morbidity. This is relevant to the Malaysian setting where mental health care is now also being provided at primary care level. The aim of this paper is to report the prevalence of psychiatric illness in a semi-urban primary care setting in Malaysia using the screening tool Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in a semi-urban primary healthcare centre located south of Kuala Lumpur. Systematic random sampling was carried out and a total of 267 subjects completed the PHQ during the study period. Results: The proportion of respondents who had at least one PHQ positive diagnosis was 24.7% and some respondents had more than one diagnosis. Diagnoses included depressive illness (n = 38, 14.4%), somatoform disorder (n = 32, 12.2%), panic and anxiety disorders (n = 17, 6.5%), binge eating disorder (n = 9, 3.4%) and alcohol abuse (n = 6, 2.3%). Younger age (18 to 29 years) and having a history of stressors in the previous four weeks were found to be significantly associated (p = 0.036 and p = 0.044 respectively) with PHQ positive scores. Conclusion: These findings are broadly similar to the findings of studies done in other countries and are a useful guide to the probable prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in primary care in other similar settings in Malaysia.
AB - Background: Screening for psychiatric disorders in primary care can improve the detection rate and helps in preventing grave consequences of unrecognised and untreated psychiatric morbidity. This is relevant to the Malaysian setting where mental health care is now also being provided at primary care level. The aim of this paper is to report the prevalence of psychiatric illness in a semi-urban primary care setting in Malaysia using the screening tool Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in a semi-urban primary healthcare centre located south of Kuala Lumpur. Systematic random sampling was carried out and a total of 267 subjects completed the PHQ during the study period. Results: The proportion of respondents who had at least one PHQ positive diagnosis was 24.7% and some respondents had more than one diagnosis. Diagnoses included depressive illness (n = 38, 14.4%), somatoform disorder (n = 32, 12.2%), panic and anxiety disorders (n = 17, 6.5%), binge eating disorder (n = 9, 3.4%) and alcohol abuse (n = 6, 2.3%). Younger age (18 to 29 years) and having a history of stressors in the previous four weeks were found to be significantly associated (p = 0.036 and p = 0.044 respectively) with PHQ positive scores. Conclusion: These findings are broadly similar to the findings of studies done in other countries and are a useful guide to the probable prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in primary care in other similar settings in Malaysia.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77953473433&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77953473433&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/1752-4458-3-13
DO - 10.1186/1752-4458-3-13
M3 - Chapter
VL - 3
BT - International Journal of Mental Health Systems
ER -