A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PHENOMENOLOGY BETWEEN EARLY ONSET AND LATE ONSET PSYCHOSIS

Abstract

Introduction: Phenomenology is the study of subjective experience. Psychiatric diagnoses are based on cross-sectional psychopathological features, for example, the presence of rst-rank symptoms in the case of schizophrenia. Phenomenological investigation focuses on the form of experience, i.e. the way in which the content is experienced, while the content itself is of secondary importance. This study was conducted to investigate the subtle differences between early-onset group (onset before 18 years of age) and late onset (onset after age of 40 years). Aim And Objectives: To study the socio-demographic prole and phenomenology of early onset psychosis and late onset psychosis compare them based on the variables studied. It is a cross sectional observational Materials And Methods: study carried out in the Department of Psychiatry, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital during the period of June 2018- May 2019. A semi structured, self designed proforma has been used to collect the socio-demographic data and personal details of the patients and their treatment history. The ICD-10 Classication of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, WHO, 1992, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) Version 4.0, Modied Kuppuswamy Socio-economic status scale were used along with. All the data that was derived from the study were analyzed by using the software IBM SPSS 21.0. Observations And Results: Mean age of presentation in early onset psychosis is 19.22 years with Standard Deviation ±5.69. Mean age of presentation in early onset psychosis is 54.5 years with Standard Deviation ±11.9. Signicantly higher ratio of male was noted in early onset group and higher ratio of female was noted in that of the late onset group. Somatic concern, anxiety, depression and suspiciousness was signicantly more in late onset psychosis. In comparison to the group of late onset psychosis, self-neglect, blunted affect, emotional withdrawn, motor retardation, motor hyperactivity, mannerisms and posturing were signicantly more in early-onset psychosis. Major distinction was noted in the Conclusion: distribution of delusional disorders and acute and transient psychotic disorders. Age of onset was skewed to late adolescence with more number of male patients. Late onset psychosis group had more uneducated patients with considerable proportion of adults left unmarried in the late onset group. Late onset psychosis group shows predominance of somatic concern, anxiety, depression and suspiciousness in contrast to early onset psychosis group which shows predominance of motor hyperactivity, self-neglect, blunted affect, motor retardation, mannerisms and posturing