title: Neuropsychiatric morbidity in a beggars' colony.
abstract: A begger's colony where a neuropsychiatric extension clinic is being run by NIMHANS, Bangalore, was selected for this study wherein 78 neuropsychiatrically ill inmates and 85 well ones were examined and diagnosed as per I.C.D.-9 and followed up on treatment. A period prevalence of 131.09/1000 serious neuropsychiatric morbidity was found with psychoses, mental retardation and epilepsy being more frequent than in general population studies. Findings in this study, point towards a need for reaching neuropsychiatric care to this section of society, and also confirm the association of certain social factors with serious morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Senior Resident, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bangalore.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muralidhar
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Gopinath