Clinical profile and comorbidity of elderly patients presenting to a psychiatric outpatient unit of a tertiary care hospital in Odisha, India : a cross sectional study
Mahanta, Debasish Mohanty, Nitya Kar, Shreyan Mohapatra, Satyakam Kar, Nilamadhab
Mahanta, Debasish
Mohanty, Nitya
Kar, Shreyan
Mohapatra, Satyakam
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2022-11
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Background: With gradually increasing older population, the profile of elderly attending psychiatric services needs exploration to inform changing service needs. Aims: Clinical characteristics of elderly attending a psychiatric outpatient department and the challenges faced by their caregivers were studied. Methods: An explorative, interview-based study. Results: The sample included 78 consecutive (49 male and 29 female) patients; between 60-80 years of age (63.7+4.7); amongst them 12.8% were widowed, and 19.2% were still working. The common diagnoses were schizophrenia and bipolar disorder at 29.5% each, and major depression and dementia 10.3% each. Comorbid physical illnesses were reported in 56%, which were mostly neurological side effects and illnesses (26.9%), hypertension (19.2%), and diabetes (15.4%). Majority (85.9%) of elderly had antipsychotic drugs and 16.4% of them had two antipsychotics. Challenges in caregiving were financial (59.0%), hampered leisure (62.8%) or family (60.3%) activities, psychological stress and mental health problems (55.1% each), and physical health problems (33.3%) and other problems (37.2%). The patients had to travel on an average of 81.9±77.9 km with an average travel time of 2.3±2.0 hours. Conclusion: Most elderly attending psychiatric outpatients had severe mental illnesses and there were major caregiving concerns which need to be addressed
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Mahanta, Debasish & Mohanty, Nitya & Kar, Shreyan & Mohapatra, Satyakam & Kar, Nilamadhab. (2022). Clinical profile and comorbidity of elderly patients presenting to a psychiatric outpatient unit of a tertiary care hospital in Odisha, India: a cross sectional study.
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