title: Nature of referrals to the psychiatric unit at Muhimbili Medical Centre, Dar es Salaam.
abstract: During a 24-month period, 205 consecutive new referrals to Muhimbili psychiatric unit were studied. Their socio-demographic characteristics, sources of referral, types of treatment received before referral and the nature of their clinical problems were identified. Their neuropsychiatric disorders were classified according to ICD-10. The ratio of males to females was found to be 1.6:1. The average age was 29.3 years. 23.4% of adult patients were unemployed, two fifths of all patients were single and 70% of all subjects had less than eight years of formal education. Whereas 42.9% of all referrals were from other departments of Muhimbili hospital, the remaining were largely from parastatal dispensaries, district and regional hospitals within Dar es Salaam city. At least a fifth of all patients had consulted traditional healers prior to referral and antimalarials had been given inappropriately to 34 patients with mental problems. Mental disorders consisted of functional psychosis, 36.6% of which three quarters were schizophrenia, neurosis (19.5%), seizures (16.6%), substance abuse (8.8%), organic mental disorders (5.3%), headache (4.9%), sexual dysfunction (2.9%). The rest had conduct disorders and pseudocyesis. Seventeen percent of all cases had concomitant physical disorders. Most patients had delayed to seek medical help.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Matuja
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Ndosi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013636:Tanzania; D014504:Urban Health