Functional Neurological Disorder at Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital

Functional neurological disorder (conversion disorder) is defined as a psychiatric illness in which a neurological or general medical condition can not explain symptoms and signs affecting voluntary motor or sensory function. The aim of current study was to study the sociodemographic characteristics of patients with functional neurological disorders, to demonstrate the frequency of symptoms of functional neurological disorders and to study the stressors of life events in such patients.

On e hundred patients were diagnosed according to DSM5 diagnostic criteria of FND at AlDiwaniya Teaching Hospital in the Psychiatry unit and Emergency department between 1^st, January 2018 and 1^st, October 2018. Then, all patients were assessed with a semi-structured interview to demonstrate their sociodemographic backgrounds and stressor events.

Majority of subjects were females (70%) at an age range of 21–30 years (45%), married (48%), unemployed (70%), educated up to secondary school (70%), urban resident (60%), rent house (65%) and came from extended family (60%). Common presenting symptoms were motor (56%), visceral (22%), mixed(12%) and sensory (10%). Significant stressors were found approximately in all patients and the most common one was social problems (35%) followed by financial problems (26%).

Functional neurological disorder is more common in females, low socioeconomic background and low literacy level and when there are significant stressors. Most common presentations were motor symptoms.