DEPRESSION IN DISSOCIATIVE (CONVERSION) DISORDER PATIENTS;

In a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital.

Abstract

Objective: Prevalence of depression in Dissociative (Conversion) disorder Patients. Place and Duration of Study: The
study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Science / Bahawal Victoria Hospital & Quaid-e-Azam Medical
College, Bahawalpur, from February 2012 to May 2012. Subjects and Methods: The sample consisted of 100 consecutive in patients
(Female 84, Male 16) of Dissociative (Conversion) disorder. They were interviewed and results were analyzed from the entries in a
Performa and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Results: Majority of the patients were female (84%), uneducated (54%) and
unmarried (60%). Mean age of our patients was 21.84±7.29 years. Depression was found in 76% of patients. Out of 76 depressed
patients had moderate depression, 24 had severe depression. Conclusions: Our study collaborates that depression was present in high
proportion in patients with dissociative (conversion) disorder, which shows that co-morbid depression should not be over looked in these
patients. It is recommended that every patient presenting with dissociative (Conversion) disorder should be assessed for co-morbid
depression and should be managed accordingly.