Background and Aim: Data about the mental health profile of military personnel and their families are needed to establish evidence-based intervention programs in military hospitals. This study aims to determine the epidemiological profile of common mental health disorders in the psychiatric clinicsÂ’ attendees in military hospitals.
Methods: A cross-sectional study in psychiatric outpatient clinics in two tertiary-care military hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from the psychiatric outpatients and their electronic health records by trained physicians.
Results: Of the 439 participants, 202 (46.5%) were male, 259 (64.6%) were in the 26 to 50-year-old age group, and 270 (63.7%) were married. More than 50% were unemployed. The majority (73.3%) of the sample were either overweight (29.8%) or obese (43.5%). The most common mental disorder among psychiatric outpatients in military hospitals was depression (44.4%), followed by anxiety (35.1%), psychosis (25.7%) and bipolar disorder (7.1%). A regression analysis confirmed a significant association between depression, anxiety and psychosis and age, gender, educational level, marital status, and body mass index (BMI).
Conclusions: The majority of patients attending psychiatric clinics in military hospitals have depression, followed by anxiety, psychosis, and bipolar disorder respectively. Around 75% of the participants had increased BMI which requires further studies to assess the reasons; moreover, weight reduction programs can be beneficial.
Key words: Psychiatry, outpatients, depression, anxiety, Saudi Arabia
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