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Over 30pc of Psychotic Cases in UAE are Schizophrenic

DUBAI — The number of schizophrenic patients admitted in hospitals in the UAE are considerably higher than those in the Western countries, say mental health experts.

At a medical symposium on mental health they said extensive community outreach programmes and home-based treatments for the mentally ill patients in the Western countries had significantly lowered bed occupancy rates in hospitals.

“Between 30 to 40 per cent of psychotic illnesses among patients admitted to mental hospitals in the UAE are related to schizophrenia and/or bi-polar disorders,” said Dr Alaa Haweel, an Abu-Dhabi based consultant and psychiatrist.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. According to studies, one per cent of the population in any society is affected by this hereditary disorder. Patients with an aggressive form of schizophrenia require hospitalisation.

“In the Western countries, such patients do not reach in-patient facilities because of strong community outreach programmes as well as forensic, psychiatric and home-based services.”

Dr Haweel said cases involving self-harm, drug use and personality disorders were higher in the West as compared to the UAE. “This could be due to several reasons, including religion, culture or societal structuring.”

Experts at the symposium also said catatonic schizophrenia that manifests itself in a physical form had “disappeared” from the UAE due to advanced medication and treatment methods.

Professor Heinz Grunze from New Castle University said aggression in a schizophrenic is a stigma. “People are anxious and afraid of those suffering from schizophrenia but such patients are hardly dangerous,” he said.

Citing a German study, Prof Grunze said people with schizophrenia had trouble with the law only for petty crimes.

Dr Hafez Amin, consultant and psychiatrist, Zayed Military Hospital, said the sooner a patient is taken to a doctor, the better chance he has of a cure or improvement. Treatment, however, can be expensive for expatriates who do not have proper insurance cover. UAE nationals are treated free of cost at all government facilities.

“Private patients have to pay Dh1,000 per month for treatment for mental disorders,” he said.

He also said 60 per cent of the patients are not fully cured because they don’t follow the treatment strictly. According to Prof Grunze, adherence to medicine by these patients is difficult due to several factors.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.ae