Emotional disturbance in Chinese obstetrical patients: a pilot study.
The level of psychiatric morbidity in Chinese obstetrical patients in a clinic in New York's Chinatown is investigated, in order to examine the preconception that Chinese living in America have less need for mental health services. One hundred twenty-four patients completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and received a standard clinical psychiatric assessment. Twenty-three percent of the patients received DSM-III diagnoses, an amount similar to that found in other studies in the general population. The GHQ-28 proved to be a good screening instrument to detect these cases, with a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 98% using GHQ greater than or equal to 9 as a predictor of probable psychiatric morbidity. Recent immigrants were overrepresented among high GHQ-28 scorers and among patients who received DSM-III diagnoses.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D009519:New York City; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011581:Psychological Tests