Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency of depressive symptoms in both genders among the
depressive patients at a psychiatric clinic of tertiary care hospital.
STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional study
SETTING: Department of Psychiatry, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, Karachi
DURATION: Six months (Nov-2006 to May 2007)
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A sample of 100 new consecutive patients including both the genders coming to the researcher’s consulting room was assessed for caseness of depression.
Diagnosis was made by using ICD-10 Diagnostic Criteria for Research. Diagnosed patients were
then seen for the severity of illness by rating them on Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression
(HRSD).
RESULTS: Analysis indicated that among the psychological symptoms, feeling sad was the
most common seen in 34% of the patients. In males, compared to females, hopelessness and
lack of confidence was predominant (11.8% vs 1.5%), while high proportions of females, compared to male patients, complaint of irritability (27.3% vs 8.8%) and feeling like crying all the
time (34.8% vs 14.7%). Among the somatic complaints headache was the most common reported by 39% of patients, which was significantly higher in females than males (47.0 vs 23.5%).
CONCLUSION: Men and women in this study reported similar patterns and severity symptoms
of depression. No evidence that presentation of depressive symptoms differs by gender was
found. Understanding of phenomenology is a major tool to aid in early detection and diagnosis
of depression.
Taufiq Iqtidar, Jameel Ayesha, Naheed Shagufta, Hamirani Muneer, Zulqernain Ali. (2012) Frequency of Phenomenology in Depressive Illness, Journal of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Volume-11, Issue-2.
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