| Popis: |
Background and Purpose: The significant association between dermatological disorders and psychopathology has been established globally. However, little work has been documented about this relationship in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and its correlation with age, gender and marital status among adult patients attending the dermatology outpatient clinic in Lagos, Nigeria. Methodology: Seven hundred and nine consecutive new adult patients attending the dermatology outpatients’ clinic at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria were recruited and invited to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: There were 305 (43.0%) males and 404 (57.0%) females. Of the total number of participants, 33.9% and 15.6% had various degrees of probable anxiety and depression respectively with an overall prevalence of 9.0%. There were no significant associations between the psychometric and sociodemographic variables. Conclusion and Recommendation: This study also demonstrated that dermatological diseases can comorbid with psychiatric disorders. Therefore, early detection and psychological intervention of identified and diagnosed of psychiatric symptoms or disorders in dermatological patients is of significant therapeutic importance. |
