Prevalence of Common Mental Disorders and its Association with Life Events and Social Support in Mothers Attending a Well-Child Clinic

Abstract

Common mental disorders (CMD), such as depression and anxiety disorders that affect mothers with young children, are a major public health issue in developing countries. This study investigates the prevalence of CMD and its associated factors among mothers attending a well-child clinic in Mombasa, Kenya. In this cross-sectional study, 429 women were screened for the presence of CMD using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire–20 (SRQ-20). Social support and social stress were measured using the OSLO Social Support Scale and the Life Events Checklist. The prevalence of CMD was 20%. High SRQ scorers were more likely to be single or separated/divorced compared with low scorers. Language, neighborhood, and financial difficulties were found to be significant independent correlates of CMD through multiple logistic regression analysis. Rates of CMD among mothers with young children in Kenya are high. This is important for nurses and pediatricians whose contact offers them an opportunity to detect CMD and refer mothers for appropriate support.

Community Perceptions of Indigenous Healers and Mental Disorders in Zimbabwe

“…However, Kenya has only about 80 psychiatrists and 30 clinical psychologists, fewer than its 500 psychiatric nurses, of which only 250 work in the mental health (Husain et al, 2016a). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), yet the country spends only about 0.05% of its health budget on mental health [24]. About 70% of the mental health facilities in the country are located in the capital, Nairobi [25].…”

Factors Associated With Common Mental Disorders Among Women of Reproductive Age in Sumaila Local Government Area, Kano State

“…Mental disorders are among the most important public health issues as it contributes to 14% of the global burden of disease (Abraham et al, 2018). The term Common Mental Disorders was coined by Goldberg and Huxley to describe commonly encountered disorders in community and primary-care settings, and whose occurrence signals a breakdown in normal functioning (Husain et al, 2016).…”

“…Gender influence the occurrence of mental disorders, in which, women are more likely than men to develop the disorders (Ansuman et al, 2014;Sathyanarayana & Manjunatha, 2019). Women were found to have two to three times more risk than in males; higher risk is seen among divorced or widowed female or those who were exposed to intimate-partner violence (Husain et al, 2016;Kingsbury, 2017). In Nigeria, an estimated 20%-30% of our population are believed to suffer from mental disorders and more than half of this percentage is reported to be women (Onyemelukwe, 2016).…”

“…Maternal mental health problems are often under diagnosed with core features such as tiredness or poor sleep being interpreted as within societal expectations of motherhood. The risks of Common mental disorders however are significant and may contribute to self-neglect and higher rates of physical illness, as well as suicidal tendencies (Husain et al, 2016).…”

“…Therefore, it is essential to value the health of the rural population considering their different life and work conditions. Common mental disorders are the frequently seen mental health problems in the community and primary health care, and most of the researches are conducted in hospitals or schools leading to a dearth in studies conducted in the community (Forte et al, 2008;Husain et al, 2016;Kingsbury, 2017;Tessema et al, 2019;Negash et al, 2020). In line with this, the study sort to identify the incidence of common mental disorders, factors associated with common mental disorders and awareness of common mental disorders among women of reproductive age in Sumaila Local Government Area of Kano State.…”