Incidence of dissociative stupor and possession in a private psychiatry clinic

Abstract

Introduction

Dissociative and conversion disorders are reported to have a present incidence of about 85–100per 1000 by different studies, which are very few. The present research is a part of a longitudinal study of 15 years but here; only 3 years are represented, which could be briefly analyzed.

Objective

Latest reports suggest a decline in incidence of hysteria (conversion and dissociation) and this research just tries to reconfirm.

Methods

All new patients attending a private psychiatry OPD in a small township of India at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, were screened to identify cases of dissociative disorder according to ICD 10, F44.2 and F44.3 from the 1st of January 2016 to 31st of October 2016 (10 months). These screened cases, only those presenting with fits of unconsciousness and possession, were analyzed and compared with the previous years for the same period.

Results

Out of a total of 3671 patients seen, (2122 males and 1549 females) a total of 319 presented with the above mentioned symptoms (58 males and 261 females) about 87 per 1000 of psychiatric patients.

Conclusion

The results, when compared with two previous years for the same period were quite similar, 2015 getting incidence of 97 per 1000 and 2014, an incidence of 89 per 1000. The inference thus is that there does not seem to be any decline of incidence and the figure would be much higher if both conversion and dissociative symptoms are included – a really serious situation.

Disclosure of Interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.