Amitava Dan1, Tanushree Mondal2, Kaustav Chakraborty3, Aditi Chaudhuri4, Asish Biswas5. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India. Electronic address: dramitava_psy@yahoo.co.in. 2. Department of Community Medicine, IPGME & R, Kolkata and Assistant Director of Medical Education, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Swasthya Bhawan, Kolkata, India. Electronic address: doctorm789@gmail.com. 3. Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine & J.N.M.Hospital, West Bengal University of Health Sciences (WBUHS), Kalyani, West Bengal, India. Electronic address: drkaustav2003@yahoo.co.in. 4. Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata, India. Electronic address: draditipgi@gmail.com. 5. Department of Pharmacology, NRS Medical College, Kolkata, India. Electronic address: drasishbiswas@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Koro, as a culture bound syndrome is predominantly reported from Asian countries. There is dearth of well-designed research focussing on course and outcome of Koro. METHOD: In the index study, 64 consecutive consenting patients with symptoms of Koro reported in different disciplines of a tertiary care Government Hospital of West Bengal were recruited over a period of 3 months. They were treated by standard treatment protocol and followed up for next 3 months. Data was collected on clinical course and treatment outcome by a pretested semi-structured proforma, specially developed for this study. RESULTS: A typical subject was a young single male, educated up to primary standard, agricultural worker by occupation and belonged to Hindu rural joint family. Among the whole sample 23% were female. Majority were referred from either private doctors or hospitals or government hospitals and reported first at non-psychiatric OPD. Dropout and recovery rates were 28% (male 33%, female 13%) and 89% (male 89%, female 92%) respectively. 20%, 75%, 9%, 31%, 19% of patients needed indoor admission, oral anxiolytics, injectable tranquilizers, specific pharmacological and psychosocial treatment, supportive medical treatment respectively. There was a subtle difference in course and treatment outcome noted between the genders. A new modality of psycho-sexual intervention 'sex education in vivo' was applied on patients of Koro with favourable result. CONCLUSION: Female counterpart represented a significant proportion. Overall improved trend of utilizing medical care facilities was observed. But sceptical attitude towards Psychiatric treatment is prevailing. An overall good treatment outcome was noted among the Koro victims.
BACKGROUND: Koro, as a culture bound syndrome is predominantly reported from Asian countries. There is dearth of well-designed research focussing on course and outcome of Koro. METHOD: In the index study, 64 consecutive consenting patients with symptoms of Koro reported in different disciplines of a tertiary care Government Hospital of West Bengal were recruited over a period of 3 months. They were treated by standard treatment protocol and followed up for next 3 months. Data was collected on clinical course and treatment outcome by a pretested semi-structured proforma, specially developed for this study. RESULTS: A typical subject was a young single male, educated up to primary standard, agricultural worker by occupation and belonged to Hindu rural joint family. Among the whole sample 23% were female. Majority were referred from either private doctors or hospitals or government hospitals and reported first at non-psychiatric OPD. Dropout and recovery rates were 28% (male 33%, female 13%) and 89% (male 89%, female 92%) respectively. 20%, 75%, 9%, 31%, 19% of patients needed indoor admission, oral anxiolytics, injectable tranquilizers, specific pharmacological and psychosocial treatment, supportive medical treatment respectively. There was a subtle difference in course and treatment outcome noted between the genders. A new modality of psycho-sexual intervention 'sex education in vivo' was applied on patients of Koro with favourable result. CONCLUSION: Female counterpart represented a significant proportion. Overall improved trend of utilizing medical care facilities was observed. But sceptical attitude towards Psychiatric treatment is prevailing. An overall good treatment outcome was noted among the Koro victims.