ASPECTS OF PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY IN THE OUT PATIENT POPULATION OF A GENERAL HOSPITAL IN SRI LANKA

A psychiatric morbidity study of a general hospital outpatient department population in Sri Lanka was done. A two stage sampling method was used. Questions which differentiated the psychiatrically morbid group were identified. The disease pattern was compared and contrasted with that presenting at psychiatric facilities in the area. Neurotic illness, the commonest being hypochondriasis was found to predominate in the general outpatient psychiatrically ill population in contrast to the population at in and out patient psychiatric facilities where schizophrenia was the major diagnostic category.