Neuropsychiatric disorders in Nigerians: 1914 consecutive new patients seen in 1 year

The socio-demographic attributes and the different diagnostic categories of patients attending Aro Neuropsychiatric Hospital for the first time over a 1-year period are presented. There was an overall preponderance of males but more females than males suffered from depression. Factors which distinguished patients with anxiety neurosis from those with neurotic and endogenous depression are identified. Two patients who suffered from obsessional neurosis, commonly regarded as rare in the black Africans, are described. Heredodegenerative diseases of the nervous system are rare in the Africans and one patient with hereditary spinocerebellar degeneration is described. Eclampsia was a probable predisposing factor for epilepsy in four women.