Authors : Ibra DIAGNE; Maimouna DIEYE; Khadim SECK; Ndeye Diale NDIAYE-NDONGO; Aida SYLLA
Volume/Issue : Volume 7 - 2022, Issue 4 - April
Google Scholar : https://bit.ly/3IIfn9N
Scribd : https://bit.ly/3NxWxFb
DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6569975
This study aimed to draw up an
epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic profile of
patients received in night consultations at the Dalal Xel
mental health center in Thies, Senegal. The study was
retrospective and descriptive, conducted over one year
from 1 January to 31 December 2020. The information
was collected from the patients' paper consultation
register and medical records. All incomplete records were
excluded from the study. Our study population consisted
of 1140 patients, 59.6% male, and 40.4% female. The
average age was 31.6 years. Wolofs were the dominant
ethnic group with 38.3% of cases and most patients were
from the Thies region (82.4%). More than half of the
patients were single (59.7%). The level of education was
secondary in 37.1% of cases. Most consultants were not
professionally active (62.6%). The 5 to 11 p.m. time slot
was the most frequented with 76.9% of consultations.
91.1% of emergency room consultations were requested
by a family member or friend. Agitation was the most
important reason for emergency room visits (25.7%),
followed by insomnia (22.1%). 53.3% of patients had a
personal psychiatric history. The main diagnostic
categories were brief psychotic disorders (32.3%),
schizophrenic disorders (18%), and bipolar affective
disorders (15.9%). Injectable drug treatment was the
most used therapeutic method (67%) and the nature of
the treatment used during psychiatric care at the Dalal
Xel mental health center in Thies was neuroleptics and
anxiolytics in 71.3% and 65.4% respectively. This
descriptive study shows that the population seen in
psychiatric emergencies at the Dalal Xel mental health
center in Thies is young, mostly male, single, with a low
level of education and no profession, and most often
arrive at the emergency room between 5 and 11 pm. A
similar profile has been identified in the national and
international literature on the same subject.
Keywords : Impact, COVID-19, Mental health, Dalal Xel, Senegal.