[First therapeutic recourse of the teenagers received to the service of Mental Hygiene of the INSP of Abidjan].
BACKGROUND
The care of health in Africa is characterized more and more by an increasing offer, as well by its volume as by the diversity of its forms ("traditional" care, practise therapeutic related to the religion, medicine of the Western type). The request for psychiatric care is high at the teenager (25.34%) and causes the description of the therapeutic route of the teenagers to the Dispensary of Mental Hygiene.


METHODS
The exploratory study with descriptive aiming proceeded with the Service of Mental Hygiene of the INSP of Abidjan of July 1 at November 31, 2005. The data socio epidemiologic, clinical, paraclinic and therapeutic were analyzed at 27 teenagers received in ambulatory consultation in 2004.


RESULTS
It arises from the structured interviews, the following observations: a male prevalence (66.7%); the majority of the teenagers (63%) was pupils and students, of Christian religion (55.6%); 63% of the teenagers were referred by their families frequently for are delirious (22.2%) and insomnia (22.2%); a prevalence of the schizophrenic subjects (40.7%) followed disorders of mood 25.9%; No patient had had resort as a first intention with the DHM; the first recourse being dominated by the tradithérapie (33.3%) followed centers of conventional care (25.5%) and churches and camps of prayers (18.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
He comes out from this study that the profile of the teenagers was of male sex, for the majority of the pupils and the students. Also, the majority of the patients were referred by their family and schizophrenia represents principal pathology. The tendency to choose in first resort the healers should challenge the authorities on the need into practice for putting recommendations of consensus to improve the mental health of the teenagers.
Yao
Y P
YP
Hôpitaux publiques d’Abidjan. yaoyavo@yahoo.fr
Yeo-Tenena
Y J M
YJ
Tetchi
E O
EO
Assi-Sedji
C
C
Bombo
Y F P
YF
Kouame
L M
LM
Soro
S J C
SJ
Delafosse
R C J
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult