Abstract :
Objectives: The psychiatric problems of pilgrims from non-Arabic speaking countries have not been investigated sufficiently. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of psychiatric disorders and socio-demographic characteristics of Turkish pilgrims in psychiatry department of Turkish Mecca Hospital. Methods: A detailed psychiatric interview was performed on 294 Turkish Pilgrims who attended the outpatient clinic of the psychiatric unit at the Turkish hospital in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during 2008 Hajj period. Information was collected by using a semi-structured form and the patients’ diagnoses were done according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Results: The study group consisted of 175 women (59.5 %) and 119 men (40.5 %) with the mean age of 53.0±13 years. A total of 71 % patients had not traveled abroad previously, and 60% had received a former psychiatric treatment. The commonest disorders were found as depression (26.5%), adjustment disorder with anxiety (16.3%) and panic disorder (14%) in the patients. Anxiety disorders alone or co-morbid with any other psychiatric disorder were found in 49% of the patients. Nine percent of the patients had symptoms of acute psychosis, schizophrenia, dementia or mania which could prevent pilgrims from performing Hajj rituals. Suicide attempt, alcohol and illicit drug use were not detected. Conclusions: Previous psychiatric admission and absence of any foreign travel experience were common among Turkish pilgrims who had sought psychiatric help during the Hajj. Psychiatric disorders seems to be related with older age, low educational level, and having previous medical and psychiatric problems.
NaturalLanguageKeyword :
Mecca , Hajj (pilgrimage) , Turkish pilgrims , psychiatric disorders , frequency
