Prevalence and associated factors of common mental disorders in primary care settings in Sofala Province, Mozambique

Abstract

Background In Mozambique, the prevalence of common mental illness in primary care is not well established. Aims This study aimed to assess the prevalence of, and associated factors for, common mental illness in patients accessing primary care services in three Ministry of Health clinics in Mozambique. Method Adult patients were recruited from the waiting rooms of prenatal, postpartum and general out-patient consultations. A mental health professional administered a diagnostic interview to examine prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and any substance misuse or dependence. Generalised linear mixed models were used to examine the odds of each disorder and sociodemographic associations. Results Of 502 patients interviewed, 74.1% were female (n = 372) and the average age was 27.8 years (s.d. = 7.4). Of all participants, 23.9% (n = 120) met diagnostic criteria for at least one common mental disorder; 8.6% were positive for MDD (n = 43), 13.3% were positive for GAD (n = 67), 4.8% were positive for PTSD (n = 24) and 4.0% were positive for any substance misuse or dependence (n = 20). Patients attending prenatal or postpartum consultations had significantly lower odds of any common mental disorder than patients attending out-patient primary care. Age was negatively associated with MDD, but positively associated with substance misuse or dependence. Conclusions Over 20% of patients attending primary care in Mozambique may have common mental disorders. A specific focus on patients attending general out-patient visits, young people for depression, and older people and men for substance misuse/dependence would provide a targeted response to high-risk demographics.

Water, food, and mental well-being: Associations between drinking water source, household water and food insecurity, and mental well-being of low-income pregnant women in urban Mozambique

“…This was slightly higher than the global average of 21%. The most common diagnosis was generalized anxiety disorder followed by major depressive disorder [47]. A vast majority of these cases go undiagnosed as the current mental healthcare system does not currently have sufficient capacity, but efforts to expand mental healthcare systems in Mozambique are currently ongoing [59,60].…”

“…We carried out a comprehensive and simultaneous study of these relationships, using validated, cross-cultural indicators to explore the relationships between drinking water source, water and food insecurity, and mental well-being amongst pregnant women in low-income, urban neighborhoods of Beira, Mozambique. This area has experienced concerns related to water and food access recently, alongside potentially elevated levels of common mental health disorders [47][48][49]. This backdrop underlines the relevance and importance of exploring these relationships here.…”

Untitled

“…This was slightly higher than the global average of 21%. The most common diagnosis was generalized anxiety disorder followed by major depressive disorder [47]. A vast majority of these cases go undiagnosed as the current mental healthcare system does not currently have sufficient capacity, but efforts to expand mental healthcare systems in Mozambique are currently ongoing [59,60].…”

“…We carried out a comprehensive and simultaneous study of these relationships, using validated, cross-cultural indicators to explore the relationships between drinking water source, water and food insecurity, and mental well-being amongst pregnant women in low-income, urban neighborhoods of Beira, Mozambique. This area has experienced concerns related to water and food access recently, alongside potentially elevated levels of common mental health disorders [47][48][49]. This backdrop underlines the relevance and importance of exploring these relationships here.…”

Untitled

“…We carried out a comprehensive and simultaneous study of these relationships, using validated, cross-cultural indicators to explore the relationships between drinking water source, water and food insecurity, and mental well-being amongst pregnant women in low-income, urban neighborhoods of Beira, Mozambique. This area has experienced concerns related to water and food access recently, alongside potentially elevated levels of common mental health disorders [47][48][49]. This backdrop underlines the relevance and importance of exploring these relationships here.…”