A Five-year Retrospective Study of Inpatient Adolescents and Young Adults with Psychiatric Disorders in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital.

Background Knowledge of the course of psychopathology from adolescent into adulthood is indispensable for answering questions regarding the origin of adult psychopathology across a wide age range. Aim The aim of the study was to determine the pattern of psychiatric disorders among adolescents and young adults and the possible associated psychosocial factors. Method Hospital case records of 146 subjects that fell into the categories of adolescents and young adults were studied retrospectively. Data were collected on their sociodemographic and clinical variables. Diagnoses were based on ICD- 10. Results The commonest psychiatric disorder was schizophrenia (49.4%). Other disorders were unspecified psychosis (32.2%), bipolar affective disorder (6.1%), depressive episode (4.8%), organic mental disorders (4.4%) and substance- induced psychosis (3.4%). Conclusion Programmes need to be put in place for early detection and intervention of psychiatric disorders among youths, and provision must be made for mental health screening among them. In addition, concerted effort should be made to educate our youths about the risks associated with the use of cannabis and other substances so as to reduce the consequences of its abuse among this group of people. Nigerian Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 6 (2) 2008: pp. 60-64