One Year Follow-Up Study of Acute and Transient Psychosis with Specific Focus on Cultural Factors Influencing the Course and Outcome
Author(s): C Prarthana Saraswathi and S Nambi*
Abstract
Patients and family members supernatural and religious beliefs with diagnosis of acute and transient psychotic disorder were assessed through a course of one year. Almost all the patients and family members had sought magic religious treatments prior to psychiatric treatment and had high supernatural beliefs in the form of sorcery/ witchcraft/, evil spirits, ghosts, planetary influences, divine wraths and karma and low beliefs in stress and chemical imbalance as the cause of illness. An acute (within 2 weeks) onset in all the cases; presence of typical syndromes which are described as rapidly changing, variable, polymorphic states, and typical schizophrenic symptoms; evidence for associated acute stress in a substantial number of cases and complete recovery in most cases within 2 -3months.To assess the knowledge and attitude towards mental illness of the patients and the caregivers in Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder. To assess the Magico Religious beliefs in relationto the abnormal behavior and the influence of karma in Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder. To assess the stability of diagnosis of Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder at the end of one year follow up. The belief in supernatural causation of the illness reins high even at the end of one year follow up. This calls for greater community and patient level education about the cause and treatability of psychiatric disorders.