A study of clinical characteristics and psychosocial stressors in patients with conversion disorder

Azeez Al-Ameedy, Waleed; Al-Yasiry, Maythem; Al-Yasiry, Zeid

	A study of clinical characteristics and psychosocial stressors in patients with conversion disorder
Kerbala Journal of Medicine
Article 1, Volume 9, Issue 1, 2016, Pages 2357-2364 PDF (0 K)
Authors
Waleed Azeez Al-Ameedy; Maythem Al-Yasiry; Zeid Al-Yasiry
Abstract
background: Conversion disorder is the term used in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders-Fourth edition classification system (DSM-IV). It was coined by Sigmund Freud. Objectives: To study and stratify the clinical presentation and psychosocial stressors of patients with conversion disorder. Method: The sample is composed of 182 patients (52 males and 130 females) referred from emergency department to psychiatry outpatient clinic. DSM-IV criteria were used to diagnose conversion disorder. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale by Holmes and Rahe which ranks the effects of life events was used in our study. Results: (70.3%) of the patients presented with psychogenic non epileptic seizures. Of the referred cases, 76.9% have had previous history of the same condition and 31.9% had previous referral to psychiatrist. There was significant association between score interpretation of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale by Holmes and Rahe and age, gender, occupation, marital status and previous admission for the same condition. Conclusion: Episodes of conversion disorders are triggered by psychosocial stressors the severity of which does not seem to correlate with the risk of relapse. The highest incidence of conversion episodes were detected in married, unemployed young females with lower levels of education. The prognosis of those patients improves with early identification and proper psychiatric assessment and management.
Keywords
conversion disorder; psychosocial stressors; pseudoseizure

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