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Dhat syndrome – A culture-bound sex neurosis of the Indian subcontinent: A prospective randomized study

ABSTRACT Dhat syndrome is a culture-bound syndrome commonly reported in the Indian subcontinent, where sexual competence in man is the trademark of masculinity. Socio-demographic profile, phenomenology and clinical profile of Dhat syndrome, and its related misconceptions were ascertained in the study. Fifty random cases were studied with the tools such as Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-plus) scale, the General Health Questionnaire–28 (GHQ – 28), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). The mean age, with standard deviation (SD), of the sample was 16.67 (± 6.65) years. 38% of patients were diagnosed to have a psychiatric illness among which a majority of cases were diagnosed with a depressive illness (18%). The GHQ Score (Mean ± SD), HAM-D (Mean ± SD) and HAM-A (Mean ± SD) of patients were 11.2 ± 8.2, 16.4 ± 6.1 and 16.1 ± 5.8, respectively. Our study suggests the presence of psychiatric co-morbidity in Dhat syndrome, such cases should be referred to consultation-liaison psychiatrists for proper management, and relevant education should be provided to young adults to remove the myths and misconceptions.