Socio-demographic and clinical profile of patients attending a private psychiatric hospital in Lagos, Nigeria.

The pattern of private psychiatric practice in Nigeria was examined by carrying out a prospective study in a private hospital. In all, one hundred and thirty-eight (138) consecutive patients of nearly equal sex distribution were seen in a total of about six hundred and forty-four (644) consultation sessions in one year. The young adults (31 - 45 years old) constitute the highest percentage (43.5%) of the patients' age groups. Contrary to the findings of some Nigerian studies in the recent years, neurological disorders mainly epilepsies accounted for the highest number of cases seen (36%). In frequency, this was followed by schizophrenias (22.5%) and affective disorders (18.8%). The peculiarity of these findings could be explained on the ground of referral bias because the hospital is reputed for managing neuropsychiatric disorders; however, despite this factor, the apparent lesson from this study is that psychiatrists in private practice should be equipped with skills to manage neurological disorders. It is concluded that private psychiatric practice in Nigeria is still at an infancy stage but contributing significantly to mental health care services in the country; and the need for further research into private psychiatric practice was highlighted.