Published Paper Details:

Studies on neurology ward patients have demonstrated elevated prevalence of mental health disorders. Previous reports have indicated a wide range of prevalence rates (39% to 64%) of psychiatric morbidity in neurological patients, with a notable poor identification rate of mental diseases in this population. This study aims to investigate the hypothesis that the psychiatric morbidity in neurological patients may influence their disease behaviors. The research, conducted at the Government General Hospital in Guntur, India, involved 58 neurological patients who completed the self-administered Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ). The IBQ, a 62-item measure with dichotomous (Yes/No) responses, was utilized to assess various components of sickness behaviors. Importantly, interviewers were unaware of the IBQ subscale ratings. Among the participants, 31 met DSM-IIIR criteria for a mental condition, and 25% (8 patients) were diagnosed with depressive disorder (major depressive disorder or dysthymia). The study's findings suggest that neurological patients with psychiatric morbidity tend to exhibit more severe disease behaviors compared to their counterparts without psychiatric morbidity. If confirmed, these results emphasize the importance of considering the impact of mental morbidity on specific aspects of sickness behavior in the development of treatment approaches.