title: Psychiatric morbidity in primary care.
abstract: The prevalence of hidden psychiatric morbidity was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HAD). A total of 149 Bahraini patients aged > or = 16 years were selected randomly from those attending primary health care centres for problems other than psychiatric illness. The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity using GHQ was 45.1% (cut-off > or = 5) and 27.1% (cut-off > or = 9). Using the HAD scale, the prevalence was 44.4% (cut-off > or = 8) and 23.6% (cut-off > or = 11). Psychiatric morbidity was more common in women aged 50-55 years, in divorcees or widows and in lesser educated patients. Either instrument could be used to diagnose psychiatric illness.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital, Salmaneya Medical Complex, Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: al-Haddad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: al-Garf
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: al-Jowder
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: al-Zurba
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001445:Bahrain / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards