Frequency of somatic complains among patients with mental illness

Abstract

Background: It is established that physical and mental disorders share common risk factors, among those the unhealthy lifestyle is most common. In order to achieve complete health, it is crucial to monitor both physical and mental health. Mental health problem is the most deserving area to work with because physical health issues are often neglected or mismanaged. This study intends to unveil the frequency of somatic (physical) health complains among patients with mental illness.   Methodology: In this cross-sectional study total 85 patients were enrolled from Psychiatry Out Patient Department, Civil Hospital Karachi, during 16th October to 13th November 2015. Patients were asked about the demographic details and existing somatic complaints from the pre-formulated questionnaire while data was analyzed on SPSS. Results: 32.9% of the subjects were diagnosed with particular medical comorbidity. However, among undiagnosed somatic (physical) complains; endocrinological complaints were more frequent i.e.16.7% followed by 14.2% Gastrointestinal (GIT) and 13.68% Central Nervous System (CNS). Conclusion: The current study supported the fact that there is a high frequency of somatic complaints in patients with mental illness. Physical monitoring is crucial for early identification and better prognosis.