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Biomedical subjects

C P Wijesinghe

Publications and source records attributed to C P Wijesinghe.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Substance use and other psychiatric disorders in impaired practitioners.

This paper describes the nature and comorbidity of substance use and other psychiatric disorders in 157 impaired practitioners notified to the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria from 1983 to 1997. Diagnoses were reduced to three diagnostic categories, viz, substance use disorder (n = 62), other psychiatric disorder (n = 62), and combined substance use and other psychiatric disorder (n = 33). Sixty nine percent of those with other psychiatric disorders suffered either bipolar disorder (n = 27), schizophrenia (n = 22), or depression (n = 17). Psychiatric comorbidity in drug-related diagnoses was 26% and in alcohol-related diagnoses 64%. Sixty five percent of substance use disorders were notified more than 12 months after onset of impairment, and 49% of all practitioners (71% with substance use disorder) did not receive treatment prior to notification. This combined with a high relapse rate (41%) makes some impaired practitioners a risk to their patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Impaired practitioners notified to the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria from 1983 to 1997.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of and outcome for impaired medical practitioners notified to the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria. DESIGN: Retrospective review of records for all impaired practitioners notified to the Board for the first time from January 1983 to December 1997. OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of notifications per year; characteristics of impaired practitioners; source of notification; diagnosis and diagnostic categories; actions by the Board; and outcomes for impaired practitioners. RESULTS: In 15 years, 170 impaired practitioners were notified to the Board for the first time, 86 in the last four years. Significantly more men than women were notified to the Board (ratio, 4.2:1; P < 0.001). Reporting by patients was uncommon, but 46 impaired practitioners reported themselves. One hundred and five impaired practitioners had a psychiatric disorder, 73 had a drug use disorder, 35 had an alcohol use disorder, and 13 had a physical disorder (not exclusive categories). The Board suspended 73 practitioners and imposed conditional registration on 76. Subsequently, 88 practitioners were able to improve their registration status. Fifty-nine practitioners were renotified to the Board or tested positive to a urinary drug screen. Eleven practitioners died, four before the age of 55 years. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing numbers of notifications in recent years coincided with changes in the legislative framework, making notification compulsory but also giving the Board more flexibility in dealing with impaired practitioners. Nonetheless, comparison with population data suggests that impaired practitioners (particularly those with substance use disorders) may be under-reported.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Schizophrenia in migrants living in the western region of Melbourne.

Comparison is made between migrant (n = 332) and Australian-born (n = 242) schizophrenic outpatients attending a regional psychiatric hospital. Age-corrected rates show that migrants are over-represented. The migrant patient-group was older, developed the illness later, and had a higher proportion of females. More female migrant patients had developed the illness before arrival and in the first five years after migration compared to males whose peak incidence was between 11 and 15 years after arrival. Migrant patients showed greater family cohesion. On broad socio-economic indices, illness characteristics and treatment received, no significant differences emerged. In many respects patients born in U.K. and Ireland resembled the Australian-born.

Acculturation↗
PubMed1987

Patterns of outpatient consultation: a survey of outpatients attending a metropolitan psychiatric hospital.

A survey of all outpatients (n = 1135) attending a regional psychiatric hospital during a 3-month period. Psychoses constituted 72% and non-psychotic disorders 25%. Psychoses had a greater proportion of long-term attenders while non-psychotic disorders, though frequent (43%) among recent attenders, showed a high attrition rate. Demographic characteristics, patterns of attendance, selected clinical features, level of functioning and difficulties of management of the different diagnostic groups are presented and discussed. Reasons are adduced to explain why patients who were deemed suitable for transfer to other care had not been discharged from hospital. Steps taken to reduce the patient load and increase the efficiency of the services are described.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Survey of psychiatric morbidity in a semi-urban population in Sri Lanka.

This paper reports a survey of psychiatric morbidity in a semi-urban community (population 7,653) in Sri Lanka. The entire population was first screened by social workers using a standardized interview. Probable cases were then examined by psychiatrists. Each psychiatric disorder identified was rated on four different parameters of severity, and only those rating moderate or severe were labelled as cases. The socio-demographic characteristics of the cases and the population at risk, and the frequency and nature of psychiatric disorders are presented in Tables. The 6-month period prevalence for all psychiatric disorders was 45.5 per 1,000, with psychoses amounting to 6.9 (males 5.5; females 8.4) per 1,000, and neuroses to 25.2 (males 9.9; females 40.6) per 1,000. The large majority of disorders were chronic and had not received psychiatric treatment. The relevance of these surveys in the provision of psychiatric services in developing countries is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Possession trance in a semi-urban community in Sri Lanka.

A survey of possession trance states in a semi-urban population of 7653 identified 37 subjects. The manifestations of the trance, and its course and outcome are outlined. The characteristics of the subjects, including presence of psychiatric disorder, are compared with that of the total population, and significant differences are noted. Four psychodynamic syndromes observed are described with illustrative case vignettes. The functions subserved by possession behaviour are reviewed, and comparisons are drawn between personal possession, ritual possession, and altered states of consciousness in Western society.

Adult↗