Pattern of psychiatric morbidity and somatic symptoms in a family medicine clinic of a University Teaching Hospital in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria

Introduction: Unexplained distressing bodily complaints like localised heaviness in the body, tingling, heat, pain and crawling sensations, unattributable to physical pathology and psychiatric morbidity, are common among patients that attend Family Medicine Clinic.
Objectives: The study assessed patterns of psychiatric morbidity and somatisation symptoms Family Medicine Clinic of a University Teaching Hospital in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 81 somatising patients were part of a case-control study, selected by a consecutive sampling of 89 patients at the Family Medicine Clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. Data was collected using the PHQ-15 and MINI plus English Version 6.0 and analysed with SPSS 21.
Results: Seventy-six (93.3%) of the participants had psychiatric diagnoses. The most prevalent symptoms were heat sensations (75.3%), pain sensations (61.7%), crawling sensations (51.9%), heaviness (46.9%) and tingling/paresthesia (29.6%). The mean age at onset was 32.99 years. The mean duration was 6.07 years (±7.58). The study revealed that 76 (93.3%) participants had psychiatric diagnoses, and somatisation disorder was the most prevalent psychiatric disorder 71(87.7%).
Conclusion: Knowledge of the patterns of somatisation symptoms and comorbid psychiatric conditions is vital for the effective management of these patients.