The Co-Existence of Anaemia in Chronic Psychiatric Disorders: A Study at Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To study the frequency of anaemia in various chronic psychiatric disorders in an adult population.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place and study duration: Creek General Hospital, Karachi Pakistan, from Feb to May 2021.

Methodology: Two hundred and six patients were enrolled in the outpatient clinics after informed consent. Adult patients of 18 to 50 years who were clinically diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder by a certified psychiatrist and had no organicity were included in the study. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin less than 13 gm/dl for males and less than 12 gm/dl in females. The severity of anaemia was classified into mild, moderate and severe according to the haemoglobin range by WHO criteria. The type of anaemia was categorized into microcytic, normocytic and macrocytic according to the value of mean corpuscle volume.

Results: The overall frequency of anaemia in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders was 126 (61.2%) out of 206 persons. Among the anaemic, 20 (58.8%) had schizophrenia; depression was present in 35 (63.6%), generalized anxiety disorder in 39 (57.4%), somatoform disorders in 20 (62.5%) and 12 (70.6%) in bipolar subjects. Among those who were anaemic, a normocytic value was found in 28 (13.6%) adults, microcytic in 95 (46.0%) patients and macrocytic in 4 (1.9%). The severity of anaemia among anaemic was highest in the mild group. Sixty-nine males (53.6%) and 89 females (65%) were anaemic. (p=0.078). Anaemia was found highest in the 40-50 years age group.

Conclusion: Anaemia was frequently found in adults suffering from chronic psychiatric disorders.