DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i05.038

Pages: 1646-1650

The primary aim of this work was to evaluate the relationship of poverty and social inequality in first episode psychosis. The Method was a retrospective case note review, looking at first episode psychotics who were admitted to the in-patient psychiatric ward in Al Ain general hospital over 6 years. 161 patients with first episode psychosis were reviewed. In the 6-year period under the study, 161 aged 13-45 years with history of first episode psychosis were admitted to the psychiatric ward. They established a different clinical diagnoses according to ICD 10: 69 patients (42.9%) had a diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder, 35 patients (21.7%) had a diagnosis of manic episode, 31 patients (19.3%) had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, 16 (9.9%) had depression with psychotic symptoms, 3 (1.9%) drug dependence, 1 (0.6%) persistent delusional disorder, and in 6 (3.7%) patients the data were missing. The mean age was 27.5 years (13-45 years) (SD=6.6), male/female ratio (110/49, 68.3%/30.4%). There was no significant relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) parameters and the severity of mental disorder. However there was a significant relationship between gender and SES variable, where females were more frequently unemployed and more frequent in local nationality of first episode psychosis. Results of this study indicate that certain socio-demographic parameters particularly gender may determine the poverty level and the presentation of first episode psychosis.