Profile of adolescents who came only once to outpatient psychiatric services

Abstract

Background: Disengagement of patients from psychiatric care is a known and a serious issue worldwide. However, very limited data are available on dropout of adolescent patients with mental health disorders. Aim: This study was planned to look into the profile and diagnosis of adolescents with single visit to psychiatry outpatient department (OPD). Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of cases in the age group of 12-18 years reporting to Psychiatry OPD of a tertiary care hospital of India was carried out. Diagnosis and profile of those who came only once were noted and analyzed for the present study. Results: From 2008 to 2011, a total of 2006 adolescents were registered which included 560 cases with mental retardation, epilepsy, and nil psychiatry. From the remaining 1446 adolescents, 659 (45.57%) did not come after the first visit. The rate of dropout at the single visit was significantly higher in females and in the age group of 16-18 years. It was highest in those with borderline intelligence, adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders, dissociative and somatoform disorders, and substance use disorders. Conclusions: There is huge dropout rate at single visit itself in adolescents. Adolescents do not present themselves to psychiatric services in India. Parental understanding of mental disorders needs to be improved to prevent early dropout.

Keywords

• Adolescents
• dropout
• mental disorders