Sociodemographic characteristics and frequency of psychiatric disorders in Turkish pilgrims attended to psychiatry outpatient clinics during Hajj

• Main Author: Şakir Özen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dicle University Medical School 2010-03-01
• Series: Dicle Medical Journal
• Subjects: Mecca; Hajj (pilgrimage); Turkish pilgrims; psychiatric disorders; frequency
• Online Access: http://4181.indexcopernicus.com/fulltxt.php?ICID=906148
• ISSN: 1300-2945; 1308-9889

Objectives: The psychiatric problems of pilgrims fromnon-Arabic speaking countries have not been investigatedsufficiently. The aim of this study was to investigate thefrequency of psychiatric disorders and socio-demographiccharacteristics of Turkish pilgrims in psychiatry departmentof Turkish Mecca Hospital.Methods: A detailed psychiatric interview was performedon 294 Turkish Pilgrims who attended the outpatient clinicof the psychiatric unit at the Turkish hospital in Mecca,Saudi Arabia, during 2008 Hajj period. Information wascollected by using a semi-structured form and the patients’diagnoses were done according to the DSM-IV-TRcriteria.Results: The study group consisted of 175 women (59.5%) and 119 men (40.5 %) with the mean age of 53.0±13years. A total of 71 % patients had not traveled abroadpreviously, and 60% had received a former psychiatrictreatment. The commonest disorders were found asdepression (26.5%), adjustment disorder with anxiety(16.3%) and panic disorder (14%) in the patients. Anxietydisorders alone or co-morbid with any other psychiatricdisorder were found in 49% of the patients. Nine percentof the patients had symptoms of acute psychosis, schizophrenia,dementia or mania which could prevent pilgrimsfrom performing Hajj rituals. Suicide attempt, alcohol andillicit drug use were not detected.Conclusions: Previous psychiatric admission and absenceof any foreign travel experience were commonamong Turkish pilgrims who had sought psychiatric helpduring the Hajj. Psychiatric disorders seems to be relatedwith older age, low educational level, and having previousmedical and psychiatric problems.