Adult Psychotic Symptoms, Their Associated Risk Factors and Changes in Prevalence in Men and Women Over a Decade in a Poor Rural District of Kenya

Abstract

There have been no repeat surveys of psychotic symptoms in Kenya or indeed subSaharan Africa. A mental health epidemiological survey was therefore conducted in a demographic surveillance site of a Kenyan household population in 2013 to test the hypothesis that the prevalence of psychotic symptoms would be similar to that found in an earlier sample drawn from the same sample frame in 2004, using the same overall methodology and instruments. This 2013 study found that the prevalence of one or more psychotic symptoms was 13.9% with one or more symptoms and 3.8% with two or more symptoms, while the 2004 study had found that the prevalence of single psychotic symptoms in rural Kenya was 8% of the adult population, but only 0.6% had two symptoms and none had three or more psychotic symptoms. This change was accounted for by a striking increase in psychotic symptoms in women (17.8% in 2013 compared with 6.9% in 2004, p < 0.001), whereas there was no significant change in men (10.6% in 2013 compared with 9.4% in 2004, p = 0.582). Potential reasons for this increase in rate of psychotic symptoms in women are explored.

Common mental disorder in Nyanza province, Kenya in 2013 and its associated risk factors –an assessment of change since 2004, using a repeat household survey in a demographic surveillance site

“…Indeed only 29 % of those who are formally employed are women [ 69 ]. It is worth noting that we have also found a similar gender ratio in prevalence of psychotic symptoms in this sample in 2013, again with similar changes between 2004 and 2013 [ 70 ].…”

Malaria, mental disorders, immunity and their inter-relationships - A cross sectional study in a household population in a health and demographic surveillance site in Kenya

“…The methods of the survey have been described in detail elsewhere [[4], [5], [6]]. The survey was conducted in Kisumu County, specifically in Maseno area .…”

“…Our prevalence rate of malaria [4], prevalence rates of mental disorders [[5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]], the influence of sociodemographic variables, and the association between malaria and mental disorders [11] have been previously reported.…”

“…There is long standing and extensive evidence of the two way association between mental and physical disorders, mostly focussed on non-communicable disease [2], but there has been rather less attention to the relationship of mental disorders and communicable disease, apart from HIV [3]. Malaria is endemic in Kenya around Lake Victoria, and we have previously reported adult population prevalence rates for malaria [4] and for mental disorders [[5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]], as well as the two way association of malaria and common mental disorder (CMD) in a health and demographic surveillance systems site in that region [11]. This paper reports their associations with inflammatory mediators.…”

Malaria and mental disorder: a population study in an area endemic for malaria in Kenya

“…Controlled studies testing this alternative approach have shown sustained drinking reductions for many patients following behavioral treatments and pharmacotherapy 3,4 . With reduced drinking, long-term improvements have been reported regarding mortality rates, incidence of alcohol-associated injuries and accidents, levels of mood symptoms, quality of life, social functioning, along with significant weight reduction, a normalization of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, slowed progression of alcohol-attributable liver fibrosis, and recovery of ventricular heart function 5 .…”