Recognition of Mental Health Problems by Primary Care Physicians in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria
Aims and Objectives: This study sought to determine the difference in detection of attendees with mental health problems visiting the General Out-patient clinic of a tertiary institution; the General Health Questionnaires (GHQ-12) were compared with those identified by the physicians. Patients and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2011-01-01
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| Series: | Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.npmj.org/article.asp?issn=1117-1936;year=2011;volume=18;issue=4;spage=266;epage=271;aulast=Asibong;type=0 |
| _version_ | 1819281938004836352 |
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| author | U E Asibong N E Udonwa A N Gyuse I B Okokon T Aluka E E Ekpe |
| author_facet | U E Asibong N E Udonwa A N Gyuse I B Okokon T Aluka E E Ekpe |
| author_sort | U E Asibong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aims and Objectives: This study sought to determine the difference in detection of attendees with mental health problems visiting the General Out-patient clinic of a tertiary institution; the General Health Questionnaires (GHQ-12) were compared with those identified by the physicians.
Patients and Methods: Three hundred and twenty two (322) subjects aged 18 years and above, attending the clinic for the first time, were recruited for the study by a systematic random sampling method. Using a cut off score of ′3′ on the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), ′Cases′ and ′Non-cases′ generated were compared with those identified by the doctors. Identification rates for both groups were calculated and the coefficients determined using a two-by-two contingency table.
Results: The GHQ-12 identified 46.6% ′cases′ while the General Out-patient Clinic (GOPC) doctors identified 6.8% with a diagnostic sensitivity of 8% and a specificity of 94%
Conclusion: Despite the high proportion of mental health problems in the GOPC of the hospital, the detection rate by the clinic doctors was low. There is a need for the use of an easy tool like the GHQ-12 for screening and identification of attendees with mental health problems especially in a busy clinic setting . |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T01:07:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-01789257b48246a483338d7bdc9ee85c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1117-1936 2468-6875 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T01:07:38Z |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-01789257b48246a483338d7bdc9ee85c2022-12-21T17:23:08ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsNigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal1117-19362468-68752011-01-01184266271Recognition of Mental Health Problems by Primary Care Physicians in a Tertiary Care Hospital in NigeriaU E AsibongN E UdonwaA N GyuseI B OkokonT AlukaE E EkpeAims and Objectives: This study sought to determine the difference in detection of attendees with mental health problems visiting the General Out-patient clinic of a tertiary institution; the General Health Questionnaires (GHQ-12) were compared with those identified by the physicians. Patients and Methods: Three hundred and twenty two (322) subjects aged 18 years and above, attending the clinic for the first time, were recruited for the study by a systematic random sampling method. Using a cut off score of ′3′ on the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), ′Cases′ and ′Non-cases′ generated were compared with those identified by the doctors. Identification rates for both groups were calculated and the coefficients determined using a two-by-two contingency table. Results: The GHQ-12 identified 46.6% ′cases′ while the General Out-patient Clinic (GOPC) doctors identified 6.8% with a diagnostic sensitivity of 8% and a specificity of 94% Conclusion: Despite the high proportion of mental health problems in the GOPC of the hospital, the detection rate by the clinic doctors was low. There is a need for the use of an easy tool like the GHQ-12 for screening and identification of attendees with mental health problems especially in a busy clinic setting .http://www.npmj.org/article.asp?issn=1117-1936;year=2011;volume=18;issue=4;spage=266;epage=271;aulast=Asibong;type=0recognitionmental healthprimary care physicians |
| spellingShingle | U E Asibong N E Udonwa A N Gyuse I B Okokon T Aluka E E Ekpe Recognition of Mental Health Problems by Primary Care Physicians in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal recognition mental health primary care physicians |
| title | Recognition of Mental Health Problems by Primary Care Physicians in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria |
| title_full | Recognition of Mental Health Problems by Primary Care Physicians in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria |
| title_fullStr | Recognition of Mental Health Problems by Primary Care Physicians in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recognition of Mental Health Problems by Primary Care Physicians in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria |
| title_short | Recognition of Mental Health Problems by Primary Care Physicians in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria |
| title_sort | recognition of mental health problems by primary care physicians in a tertiary care hospital in nigeria |
| topic | recognition mental health primary care physicians |
| url | http://www.npmj.org/article.asp?issn=1117-1936;year=2011;volume=18;issue=4;spage=266;epage=271;aulast=Asibong;type=0 |
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