Family functioning among depressive and dissociative (conversion) patients.
OBJECTIVE
To campare the family functioning, level of depression, anxiety and histrionic personality traits among depressive and dissociative (conversion) patients.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study.


METHODS
The Psychiatry Unit of Government Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, on depressive and dissociative (conversion) patients admitted from January to May 2004.


METHODS
Purposive sampling technique was used for the assignment of 75 patients (n=75) with depressive illness and 75 patients (n=75) with dissociative (conversion) disorders groups who fulfilled International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD 10), criteria. Test package was administered individually to all the patients and scores compared for the groups.


RESULTS
On family APGAR scale, no significant difference (t=-2.472, p=0.16) was found between the scores of the two groups. Patients with depressive illness scored high on Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression with mean score of 26.92 and on Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety with mean score of 23.45, while dissociative group scored high on Hysteria (Hy) sub-scale of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) with mean score of 13.17.


CONCLUSIONS
Dysfunctional family pattern is one of the contributing factor in developing and maintaining mental illnesses like depression and dissociative (conversion) disorders.
Aamir
Siddiqua
S
Department of Psychology, Frontier Women University, Peshawar. siddiquanawab21@hotmail.com
Jahangir
Syeda Farhana
SF
Farooq
Saeed
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D055815:Young Adult