Treatment and the impact of Age, Gender and occupation on Neurotic, stress-related and Somatoform disorders: A study from Nepal

Abstract

Background

Neurotic, stress-related and Somatoform disorders is a common psychiatric disorder. According to ICD-10 (Tenth revision) Classification of mental and Behavioural disorders, Diagnostic Criteria for Research its code is F40-48. The main objective of the study was to find out the commonest treatment modalities used in the treatment Neurotic, stress-related and Somatoform disorders in a teaching hospital in Western Nepal in inpatients.

Methods

It is an observational cross-sectional study was done at Psychiatric inpatient department, Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal.

Results

Among Neurotic, stress-related and Somatoform disorders, anxiety was found to be 63.3% followed by Somatoform disorder 21.7%, Reaction to stress and adjustment disorders 6.7%, Obsessive compulsive disorder 5% and Dissociative Disorder was 3.3%. In the treatment of Neurotic, stress-related and Somatoform disorders in Anxiety, Alprazolam was the commonest drug prescribed 50%, followed by Clonazepam 31.6%, Chlordiazepoxide 15.8% and Lorazepam 2.6%. In Somatoform disorder Fluoxetine 61.5%. was the commonest drug to be prescribed  followed by Alprazolam 23.1% In case of Obsessive compulsive disorder Fluoxetine , Diazepam and Alprazolam was prescribed 33.3% each.

Conclusion

Anxiety was the commonest type of disorder.  Neurotic, stress-related and Somatoform disorders mostly occurs between 14-40 yrs, housewives and in female patients. Alprazolam was the commonest drug prescribed, followed by clonazepam and chlordiazepoxide in Anxiety. In Obsessive compulsive disorder Benzodiazepines and Fluoxetine, in Dissociative Disorder, Reaction to stress and adjustment disorders Benzodiazepines were used commonly and in Somatoform disorder Fluoxetine and alprazolam was used.