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BANGLADESH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE Volume-8 No. 1-2; January-March 2009 

Original Article 
 
Pattern of psychiatric morbidity among the patients admitted in a private 

psychiatric clinic 
                          A Fahmida1, Wahab MA2, Rahman MM3
 
Abstract:  
Background: Mental health problem is a major public health issue in the world across the developed 
and developing countries. However, data in most of the developing countries including Bangladesh 
are scarce. In Bangladesh, socio-political situation is insecure and unstable with poverty and 
vulnerable to natural disaster which causes psychiatric morbidity. The pattern of psychiatric 
morbidity in private clinic is quite different from that in government hospital. Objective: This study 
was aimed to assess the diagnostic pattern of psychiatric morbidity among the admitted patients in a 
private psychiatric clinic. Methodology: The study was carried out in a 20 bedded private psychiatric 
clinic in the heart of Dhaka city. All the information including longitudinal histories of patients was 
recorded in files and the diagnosis was confirmed by psychiatrist. Admission and discharge notes 
were recorded in register. Socio-demographic parameters and family history of mental illness were 
collected from the record file of individual patient. Results: Among 304 patients 184 (60.53%) were 
males and 120 (36.47%) were females. More than 50% of patients were in the age group of 18 to 37 
years. Most common psychiatric disorders were schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (39.4%), 
mood disorder (18.75%), borderline personality disorder (3.6%), conduct disorder (2.3), somatoform 
disorder (1.6%), anxiety disorder (0.7%), organic psychiatric disorder (2%), impulse control disorder 
(1.3%) and adjustment disorder (0.7%). Conclusion: Major forms of psychiatric disorders are 
common both in urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. 
 
Keywords:  Psychiatric morbidity 
___________________________________________________________________________ 
 
Introduction  
Psychiatric morbidity is a major public health 
problem in the World across developed and the 
developing countries. Today mental health and 
mental illnesses are key public health issues. A 
large number of people worldwide suffer from 
mental disorders. According to World Health 
Organization at least 40 million people in the 
world suffer from mental disorders such as 
schizophrenia and dementia1-4. 
Bangladesh is a densely populated area where 
prevalence of psychiatric illness is  

 
not less than that of any other country in the 
world. A study showed that 29% of patients 
attending general practice were suffering from 
functional disorder and 6% from both functional 
and organic disorder. The same study 
demonstrated that 47% patients were suffering 
from neurotic disorder, 37% from 
psychosomatic disorder, 10% from affective 
disorder, 1.44% from schizophrenia, 2.88% from 
substance use disorder and 2% organic 
psychiatric syndrome5.  

________________________________________________________________________ 
1. Assistant Professor, Ibn Sina Medical College, Kallyanpur, Dhaka. 
2. Assistant Professor, National Institute of Mental Health,  Dhaka. 
3. Trainee Clinical Psychologist, University of Dhaka. 

Corresponding author: Dr. Fahmida Ahmed, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, Ibn Sina Medical 
College, 1/1B Kalyanpur, Mirpur Road, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh. 
Email: wahabminar@yahoo.com 
 

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Fahmida A. et al. 

Another study in Dasherkandi, a village 
nearby Dhaka city indicated that 6.52% 
people had been suffering from psychiatric 
illnesses6.  
 
Still now maximum people are out of modern 
treatment facilities due to poor economic 
condition, prevailing superstition, stigma on 
mental patients and lack of education and 
knowledge about scientific method of 
treatment of mental illness. Study conducted  
in Outpatient department of  National  
Institute of  Mental  Health (NIMH), Dhaka  
revealed  that 37.4% of  patients  were 
suffering from  schizophrenia and  
schizophrenia like psychotic disorders, 
16.14%  from anxiety disorders, 11.19%  
from  Major Depressive disorder, 8.95%  
from Bipolar mood disorder, 7.66 %  from 
substance related disorder, 6.60%  from 
somatoform disorder, 4.12% from mental 
retardation and  7.88% from other disorders7.   
The main objective of the present study was 
to observe the types of the psychiatric 
diagnoses among the admitted patients in a 
private hospital in Dhaka city, to see the 
relationship of psychiatric disorders with 
some socio-demographic parameters and also 
to observe the relationship between the family 
history of psychiatric illness and different 
types of psychiatric disorders. 
 
Subjects and methods 

The study was carried out in a private clinic 
in Dhaka city. It is a 20 bedded clinic. Most 
of the patients came from Dhaka city. All the 
information about the patients including their 
thorough histories was recorded in files. 
Admission and discharge notes were recorded 
in register. Patients were diagnosed by the 
consultant psychiatrist Three hundred and 
four patients were admitted here throughout 
the year of 2007 from January to December. 
They were diagnosed according to Diagnostic 
and statistical manual for Mental disorder 
criteria by the Psychiatrist8. Necessary 

informations regarding patients were 
collected from record files. Data were 
processed and analyzed manually 
following the simple descriptive 
statistical procedure. 
 

Results 

Total three hundred and four patients 
admitted in a private psychiatric clinic 
in Dhaka city during the period of 
January to December in the year 2007 
were included in the study within the 
age group of 10 to 55 years. Out of 304 
patients,  184 (60.53%) were male and 
120 (36.47%) were female. 135 patients 
(44.4%) were married, 158 patients 
(50.66%) were unmarried and 15 
(4.93%) were divorcee. 92.76% were 
muslins, 4.60% were Hindu and 2.63% 
were Christians (Table I). Regarding 
occupational status most of the patients 
(30.2%) were unemployed, followed by 
students (23.7%). Eighteen to twenty 
eight years of age group had more 
psychiatric disorder (42%), which was 
nearer to the finding of other study9. As 
the study was carried out in a private 
clinic almost all the patients belonged 
to medium to high social class (monthly 
income >10,000 Taka). Results showed 
that most of the patients were educated, 
19% completed graduation, and 56.6% 
completed Higher Secondary certificate 
examinations (Table III). Out of three 
hundred and four patients 39.4% were 
suffering from schizophrenia and other 
psychotic disorders, 29.6% substance 
related disorder, 12.17% from bipolar 
mood disorder, 6.58% from major 
depressive disorder, 3.6% from 
borderline personality disorder, conduct 
disorder 2.3%, organic psychiatric 
disorder 2%, somatoform disorder 
1.6%, impulse control  disorder 1.3%  
and  others 1.4% . 

 

 
 

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Pattern of psychiatric morbidity among the patients admitted in a private psychiatric clinic 

Table I - Distribution of patients by sex, age group, religion and marital status  

 

Table II - Distribution of patients by occupational status     

Sex Number Percentage (%) 

Male 184 60.53% 

Female  120 39.47% 

Age group  

< 18 years 23 7.6% 

18-27 years 128 42% 

28-37 years 107 35% 

32 11% 38-47 years 

48 years and above  14 4.6% 

Residence   

Rural 90            29.6% 

Urban 214            70.4% 

Marital status   

Married 135 44.4% 

Unmarried 154 50.66% 

Divorcee 15 4.93% 

Religion  

Islam 282 92.76% 

Hinduism 14 4.60% 

Christians 8 2.63% 

Occupational status Number Percentage (%) 

Business 65 21.4% 

Student 72 23.7% 

Service 29 9.6% 

House wife 43 14.1% 

Unemployed 92 30.2% 

Farmer 3 1.0% 

Table III - Distribution of patients by their educational status      

Educational status Number Percentage (%) 

Primary 25 8.22% 

Secondary 49 16.11% 

SSC/HSC 172 56.6% 

Graduate 58 19% 

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Table IV - Types of psychiatric disorder among the admitted patients   

Fahmida A. et al. 

Types Total number Percentage (%) 

Schizophrenia and other 
psychotic disorders 

120 39.4% 

Substance related disorders 90 29.6% 

Bipolar mood disorder 37 12.17% 

Major depressive  disorder 20 6.58% 

Borderline personality disorder 11 3.6% 

Conduct disorder  7 2.3% 

Somatoform disorder 5 1.6% 

Organic psychiatric disorder 6 2% 

Anxiety disorder 2 0.7% 

Impulse control disorder 4 1.3% 

Adjustment disorder 2 0.7% 

 

Table V - Distribution of different psychiatric disorders by sex  

Type of disorder Male % Female % 

Schizophrenia and other psychotic 

disorders 

77 25.3 43 14.1% 

Substance related disorders 87 28.6 3 1% 

Bipolar mood disorder 26 9.0 11 3.6% 

Major depressive  disorder 7 2.3 13 4.3% 

Borderline personality disorder 3 1 8 2.6% 

Conduct disorder  5 1.6 2 0.7% 

Somatoform disorder 0 0 5 1.6% 

Alzheimer’s disease 2 0.7 0 0% 

Postpartum psychosis 0 0 4 1.3% 

Anxiety disorder 0 0 2 0.7% 

Impulse control disorder 3 1 1 0.3% 

Adjustment disorder 0 0 2 0.7% 

 

 

 

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Table VI - Distribution of patients by family history of mental illness.       

Pattern of psychiatric morbidity among the patients admitted in a private psychiatric clinic 

Family history of 

mental illness 

 

Number Psychiatric disorders Number 

 

Percentage 

(%) 

Total 

Schizophrenia and other 

psychotic disorders 

 

52 
 

17.1% 

Bipolar mood disorder 21 
7% 

 
Present 

 

 
 

80 

Substance related disorders 7 2.3% 

 
 
 

26.3 

Absent 224    73.7 

 

Discussion 
Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders 
were the commonest psychiatric disorders 
requiring admission (39.4%) in the 
hospital5. 
 
The study showed that next to 
schizophrenia was substance related 
disorder (29.6%). Substance use disorder 
is a rising problem of present day and a 
serious threat to our social integrity and 
cohesion. A significant number of our 
young generation has been abusing illicit 
drugs and substances. Present study 
revealed that drugs use was high among 
the age group of 18 to 37 years, similar to 
other study. Among ninety cases of 
substance related disorder three were 
female and rests were males. Less access 
to narcotics to female abusers may justify 
less prevalence of substance use disorder 
among females. This finding was 
consistent to other study6. Next to 
substance related disorder 12.17% patients 
of bipolar mood disorder were admitted 
and more among males. Present study also 
showed patients of anxiety disorders 
(0.7%) were admitted less frequently as 
majority of them were treated in the out 
patient department6. Study revealed  that 
major depressive disorder (6.58%), 
somatoform disorder (1.6%), anxiety 

disorder (0.7%)  were  more among 
females  probably  because  of  stressful  
life events,  the effects of child birth and 
behavioral  model  of  learned  
helplessness 5,7. Borderline personality 
disorder was present in 3.6% of   patients 
and also more among females9. Conduct 
disorder was common among boys (1.6%) 
than in girls (0.7%)10. 
 
As the study place was in the Dhaka city, 
most of the patients (70.4%) were from 
urban background and from rural area 
29.6% patients. Psychiatric morbidity was 
higher among urban people. Because these 
people are facing the daily life stresses and 
thereby more vulnerable to psychiatric 
illness. In this study a substantial number 
of patients (30.2%) were unemployed. 
This could be due to presence of 
psychiatric disorders11. Next to 
unemployment  psychiatric  morbidity  
appeared to be higher  among  students 
(23.7%),  who were  mostly  of  
adolescents  and of  early adulthood  and  
thereby  were most vulnerable  for  most of 
the psychiatric disorders. Findings were 
consistent to other study6. There  are  
enough evidences  that  psychiatric  
disorders  particularly major psychiatric  
disorders  have  substantial  contribution  

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Fahmida A. et al. 

of  genetic  hereditability in  their causation. 
One of our  aim was also to estimate  the  
relationship  between  positive  family history 
of mental illness and  major  psychiatric  
disorders. Study  showed  positive  family 
history  for mental disorder was in  26.3%  
cases  and  it  was  highest  (17.1%)  among  
schizophrenia  and  schizophrenia  like  
disorder. Next  to  schizophrenia  for  bipolar 
mood  disorder  it  was  about  7% followed  
by  2.3%  in  substance  related  disorder.  
Finding was consistent to other study12.  
 
Our observation suggests that Psychiatric 
disorders are common in both rural and urban 

areas, which create hazards in personal, 
occupational or social level. Countrywide 
advertisement to increase people’s awareness, 
co-operation of the Government and efficiency 
and commitment of service providers will be 
needed. Awareness about psychiatric illness is 
gradually increasing day by day among the 
people of Bangladesh. So, the number of 
patients seeking treatment is also increasing. 
To meet the  need  of  the  people the  number 
of  mental health  professionals  and  facilities  
for  mental health services  are  needed to be  
increased   in   government   level   as  well  as   
private sector. 

___________________________________________________________________________

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“In their hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy) and Allah has increased their disease” 
[Al-Quran 2:10] 

 

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