Catatonia in an acute adult inpatient population in mental health units in Khartoum, Sudan: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Catatonic syndrome is a mental health issue, as well as a medical, neurological, and toxic condition. There are few published data on catatonic syndrome in African countries and none in Sudan, the third-largest African country. AIM To assess the prevalence and presenting symptoms of catatonic syndrome in an acute psychiatric inpatient population in four governmental psychiatric hospitals in Sudan. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in four psychiatric hospitals in the capital, Khartoum, in Sudan. The data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire tool, which included sociodemographic data (age, sex, educational level, marital status, and residence). Signs and symptoms of catatonic syndrome were assessed using the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria. chi(2) tests were used to compare categorized variables. Multivariate analysis was not performed because none of the variables were found to be different between patients with and without catatonic syndrome. RESULTS Of the 384 patients, 50.0% and 49.3% were males and females, respectively, and their median age was 30.0 years. One hundred and sixty-three (42.4%) patients had catatonic syndrome according to the BFCRS criteria. Of these patients, 104 fulfilled the DSM-5 criteria, with a 27.1% prevalence of catatonic syndrome. Echopraxia/echolalia (84.5%), mutism (71.2%), posturing/catalepsy (67.3%), and mannerisms (66.3%) were the main manifestations among patients with catatonic syndrome. There was no significant difference in age, sex, marital status, or job between patients with and those without catatonic syndrome. Of the 163 patients with catatonic syndrome, 31.3% had bipolar disorder, 28.2% had schizophrenia, and 19.6% had major depressive disorder. CONCLUSION Catatonic syndrome is highly prevalent in an acute psychiatric inpatient population in Sudan regardless of age or sex. Echopraxia/echolalia (84.5%) and mutism were the main manifestations among the patients with catatonic syndrome.