F.S. Marra, F. Pacitti, R. Brugnoli, P. Pancheri - Vol. 5, Dicembre 1999, num.4
Testo Immagini Bibliografia Summary Riassunto Indice
Funzione dell’accompagnatore nella visita
psichiatrica ambulatoriale:
uno studio sperimentale sulle differenze di genere in un campione di 856 soggetti
Accompanying persons of psychiatric outpatients:
an experimental study of gender-related differences in 856 subjects
Objective: the aim of this study was to assess any gender difference in persons accompanying psychiatric patients when the latter are seen for the first time at an outpatient facility at disease onset. At this aim we compared rates of patients visiting the facility at first episode alone vs. accompanied, subdividing them according to gender.
Methods: we included a total sample of 856 consecutive patients who referred to the out-patient facility of the III Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Rome "La Sapienza" from January 1996 to March 1999. Diagnoses were made according to the DSM-IV criteria. We included in data analysis whether patients were alone or accompanied, as well as gender, age of onset and who was the accompanying person, subdividing the group into diagnostic groups according to spectra, i.e., schizophrenic, anxiety or depressive spectrum, or all other diagnoses. Differences in frequency were analysed by means of the chi-square test.
Results: patients with a schizophrenic spectrum diagnosis were 130 (87 male, 43 female), those with a depressive spectrum disorder were 398 (166 male, 232 female), those with an anxiety spectrum 250 (110 male, 140 female) and those with other diagnoses 78 (39 male, 39 female). 25.4% of male patients were seen alone and 74.6% were accompanied (p <.001), vs. 49.6% of females who were seen alone and 50.4% who were accompanied (p <.001).
Conclusions: it is confirmed that there are gender-related differences in patterns of seeking out assistance; males tend to visit a psychiatric outpatient facility accompanied more often than females.