Disability assessment in mental illnesses using Indian Disability Evaluation Assessment Scale (IDEAS)

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Disability Assessment
• Mental Health

Background:

• Psychiatric disorders significantly contribute to individual disability and family burden.
• Chronic mental illnesses often result in persistent disability and reduced quality of life.
• Effective assessment tools are crucial for understanding the impact of these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the level of disability between patients with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• To utilize the Indian Disability Evaluation Assessment Scale (IDEAS) for a comprehensive disability assessment.
• To evaluate the impact of these disorders on various domains of daily functioning.

Main Methods:

• Inclusion of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and mild-severity OCD.
• Application of the Indian Disability Evaluation Assessment Scale (IDEAS) for assessment.
• Detailed evaluation of disability across all IDEAS domains for both patient groups.

Main Results:

• Schizophrenia patients were predominantly from rural areas, while OCD patients were mainly from urban settings.
• Patients with schizophrenia exhibited significantly higher overall disability across all assessed domains compared to OCD patients.
• Longer illness duration (>5 years) in OCD patients correlated with significant work and global score disability.

Conclusions:

• Schizophrenia imposes a greater disability burden than OCD.
• Both conditions impair daily functioning, increasing family stress and challenges in patient rehabilitation and societal integration.
• Further research with larger cohorts is recommended to validate these findings.