SCHIZOPHRENIA—A GENETIC STUDY1

102 families of schizophrenic patients were studied by drawing pedigree charts. The affected relatives failed to manifest any sexwise difference and so were the probands. Parental consanguinity doesn't seem to augment positive family history. When Slater's computational model was applied to assess the mode of inheritance, the study favoured polygenic hypothesis

A STUDY OF SOME SOMATIC TRAITS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA1

Some genetically determined traits, such as ear lobes, finger hair and hairy car were studied in 89 schizophrenic patients and compared with normals. The proportion of schizophrenic males having earlobes hanging free was much less than the control group. This difference is highly significant statistically (p < .0001). Similar was our observation in schizophrenic females (p < .05). Furthermore number of schizophrenic females had finger hair compared to their normal counter parts which was statistically significant. (p <.025)

A STUDY OF DELINQUENT BOYS USING JESNESS INVENTORY

The Jesness Inventory was administered to two groups; one consisting of 100 institutionalised delinquents and the other of 100 students of the school leaving class in a local school. The results suggest that some of the sub-tests of the inventory significantly discriminate between the delinquent and the non-delinquent normal boys

ATTEMPTED SUICIDES IN MADRAS

This study pertains to eighty six suicide attempters. The findings indicated that in both sexes the peak age group was 15 - 20 years, followed by 21 - 25 years. Organophosphorous compounds were found to have been used by a large number of attempters. 23.25% of our sample had contemplated on this act even prior to this episode. Alcohol was found to be an important factor behind 10.46% of cases. The scores on Eysenck Personality Questionnaire indicated that extraversion was predominantly found in our cases of attempted suicides whereas most of them scored very low on P scale

A STUDY ON THE VENUES OF SUICIDE

This study was aimed to assess the venues of suicide and the related factors. One hundred and forty four (M-89. F-55) suicide cases undertaken for autopsy at the department of Forensic Medicine, Madras Medical College formed the study material. 33.71% of males and 3.64% of females had chosen the venues other than their houses. Most of the males suffering from mental illness (80%) had preferred places outside their house for this fatal act. Among the males, 71.74% of those who consumed insecticides and 87.5% who adopted self immolation, did so inside their houses. Comparatively lesser (53.33%) proportion of males resorted to hanging inside their house

A PSYCHODEMOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THE PATIENTS OF A DEADDICTION CENTRE IN MADRAS.

Sixty patients who reported to a Deaddiction Centre were investigated with regard to their psychodemographic profile. 53.3% of them turned out to be exclusively alcohol abusers, 35% were abusers of alcohol concurrently with other substances and 11.7% were abusers of exclusively drugs. Those who consumed alcohol alone, commenced their intake at a mean age of 24.4 years and reported for treatment only at 39.2 years; this was in contrast to the mean age of 17.9 years at which alcohol use begin in those who took alcohol in combination with other substances. Further, abusers of drugs alone reported for treatment at an age of 24 years, which is quite similar to the age at which the abusers of alcohol concomitantly with other substances resorted for psychiatric help. Other than the withdrawal syndrome, the most frequently encountered psychotic condition was alcoholic hallucinosis

DERMATOGLYPHIC FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY AND SYMMETRY IN FAMILIAL AND NON FAMILIAL SCHIZOPHRENIA

Three dermatoglyphic traits, viz; finger patterns, finger ridge counts, and palmer a-b ridge counts of 57 (M-29; F-28) and 64 (M-29; F-35). Schizophrenics with and without positive family history respectively, and 65 controls (M-30, F-35), were analysed to determine their level of fluctuating asymmetry

HYSTERIA—A PSYCHODEMOGRAPHIC STUDY

The study refers to Sixty five cases, diagnosed as Hysteria in the course of one year in a general hospital clinic. High occurrence was seen in the age group of 16-20 years. Mean age was 19.1 years. Females formed the majority of the patients (63.1%). Occurrence was higher in unmarried males and females. Illness was more common in persons with lower education and socio-economic status. Nuclear families harboured greater number of the patients. Various psychogenic factors and the symptoms observed are discussed. During the follow up period, which was spread over a period of two years, it was observed that twenty two patients (33.8%) got rid of their symptoms altogether whereas fourteen of them (21.5%) had only partial relief

DETERMINANTS OF SUICIDAL ATTEMPTS OF WIVES OF SUBSTANCE ABUSERS

One hundred and fifty seven suicide attempters who were the wives of substance abusers were interviewed with the help of a self innovated proforma that was designed to explore the causative factors for their suicidal behaviour. These subjects were selected from the Intensive Medical Care Unit of Government Stanley Hospital, Chennai. Some of the family and personal problems encountered by them that were attributable to their husbands' behaviour, such as disturbed relationship with the relatives (84.7%), being manhandled by their husbands (79.5%), financial problems (76.4%) and deprivation of emotional support and love (51%), were scarecely different from those noted in other reports on attempted suicide

ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE AMONG INTERNEES

The study was designed to assess the various factors pertaining to alcohol and drug abuse among internees with the help of the youth survey questionnaire developed by the WHO. 22.67% of the males indulged in alcohol abuse atleast once a month. Correspondingly cannabis was abused by 9.33% of the boys which is the most commonly abased drug of addiction, followed by sedatives and tranquilizers