Characteristics of patients with psychosis at Ndola Teaching Hospital Psychiatric Unit, Zambia

Abstract

Description of patients with psychosis is important in deciding on the best treatment to be offered to them. The objective of the study was to describe patients with psychosis at Ndola Central Hospital Psychiatric Unit, Zambia. Of the 699 patients who were seen and diagnosed with psychosis in a period of 12 months (01/01/14 to 31/12/14), records of 248 patients were considered in the study. However, 233 (94.0%) of 248 records were reviewed. Most of the patients were single (47.2%), of male gender (64.8%), unemployed (73.5%), attained secondary or higher level of education (70.3%) and from families made up of 5 or more members. Among males, 90.8% consumed alcohol compared to 33.3% of females (p<0.001). In relation to drug abuse, 54.3% of males smoked cannabis while none of the females smoked it. Among females, 28.0% of them were on HAART compared to 0.7% of males. Overall, alcohol use was very common (76.7%), followed by cannabis abuse (35.2%); then familial psychosis (27.6%) and lastly antiretroviral drug use (10.3%). Further studies are needed to establish associations between the common factors found in the current study and psychosis.