Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Young Adults of a Newly Urbanised Area in Khartoum, Sudan

Abstract
Two hundred and four subjects, 22–35 years old, were selected from a surburban part of Khartoum. They were assessed using the Self-Rating Questionnaire, the Eysenck Personality Inventory, and a Sudanese rating scale of anxiety and depression. Socio-economic information was collected. A psychiatric interview and a medical examination were carried out. It was found that 40.3% had at least one psychiatric symptom, and 16.6% received clinical diagnoses according to DSM-III. The most common diagnoses were depressive illness (neurotic and endogenous) (8.4%) and generalised anxiety (3.4%). Alcohol abuse was very rare (0.4%). There was no sex difference.