title: Sociodemographic and clinical features of patients with depressive disorder in Khartoum, Sudan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It's known worldwide that depression is becoming a major health problem and its prevalence is increasing. The main objective of this study is to find out the prevalence of depression among patients attending a general psychiatric clinic, and study their sociodemographic and clinical features.
  
  
  METHODS
  Files of patients attending a private psychiatric clinic in Khartoum in the period June 2005-June 2010 were reviewed. Only those with a diagnosis of depression were chosen, sociodemographic date and clinical features were documented and results were shown below.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Total numbers of patients with depression were 137 (11.4%). Females were more than males (56.2%), the majority are between ages 41-60 (40.9%), married (65%), (14.9%) had family history of psychiatric disorders and (52%) had a previous history of psychiatric treatment. Depressed mood is the commonest symptom (98.5%), loss of interest (91.9%), reduced energy (57%), guilt feelings (17.9%) and (35.8%) of our samples expressed suicidal ideations. The commonest type of somatic symptom is generalized aches and pain (30.7%), (18%) were psychotic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study is a retrospective descriptive study, based on a private psychiatric clinic sample. It provided a useful baseline for more comprehensive field based studies, to try to aid planning and development of services to meet the needs of the population.
authors.affiliation: South Essex University Foundation NHS Trust, Basildon University Hospital, Basildon, Essex SS16 5NL, UK, hellme.najim@sept.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Hellme
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Najim
authors.forename: Abdelaziz Ahmed
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Omer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013397:Sudan; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D055815:Young Adult