Abstract:
This was a cross sectional descriptive study carried out at Mathari Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. The
objective was to describe the social-demographic characteristics and physical illness among inpatients with
schizophrenia. A total of two hundred and twenty four patients (137 male and 87 female) were included in the
study. Patients who met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) were assessed using the Adult Personal Data Inventory. Physical complaints
were noted and previous medical history was obtained from the case notes. Statistical analysis was done using the
Chi-square tests. Most of the patients were young (mean age = 34.62, s.d. = 11.5), came from low socio-economic
background and previously worked as unskilled labourers or were unemployed. Thirty-four (15.2%) of the
patients had a medical diagnosis. Of these 18 (53%) had an infective condition. Respiratory infection especially
pulmonary tuberculosis was commonly encountered. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection was also
common. The females had a higher percentage of physical morbidity 19.5% compared to the males 12.4%. History
of suicide attempt was recorded in 33 (14.7%) of the patients. the patients with schizophrenia seen at Mathari
hospital are young and socio-economically disadvantaged. A significant proportion (15.2%) of the patients has
medical conditions that are treatable. These factors should be taken into account when planning treatment and
rehabilitation services for the patients.
