Adjustment disorders: a clinical study of a psychiatric hospital population in Tunisia

The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of adjustment disorders in psychiatric hospital and to establish the clinical and evolutional profiles of these disorders. A descriptive and retrospective study with approximately 115 patients hospitalized a first time in a psychiatric setting of the university hospital of Monastir in Tunisia for adjustment disorders according to the DSM-IV. The frequency of adjustment disorders in a psychiatric hospital was estimated at 11,8 %. The majority of patients were young (65,3 % between 16 and 20), female (60,9 %), of low professional and socio-economical status, and without any psychiatric history (59,1 %). The acute appearance of adjustment disorders caused by psychosocial stress factors which were usually various (60 %), recent (61,7 %) and with a high severity (69,6 %). The suicide attempts were frequent (53 %) representing the first reason for hospitalization. An evolution was favourable in 75,7 % of cases after a short hospitalization (about 8,2 days). Finally, the authors insist on the short hospitalization in order to provide evaluation, observation and treatment setting for these disorders.