PREVALENCE OF COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC SKIN DISEASE IN ETHIOPIA: A MULTI-CENTER CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Skin diseases are frequent all over the world and put individuals at risk for mental disorders, which can affect the course of the illness and the therapeutic outcome. The frequency of prevalent mental illnesses among Ethiopian individuals with chronic skin conditions was not well studied. Objective: To assess the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) and associated factors among patients with chronic skin disease (CSD) in Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the presence of CMDs among patients with CSD. The study utilized the Amharic version of Self-reporting questionnaires (SRQ-20) to collect data. The data were entered into and exported from Epi data manager version 4.6.0.4 to SPSS V 26 software to be analyzed. Descriptive statistics were computed using frequency, and bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to identify the associated factors. The study calculated AORs with 95% CIs, and variables with P<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Result: - The overall prevalence of CMDs among the participants was found to be 28.8% (95% CI: 23.5, 33.8). Factors which were significantly associated with CMDs were family history of mental illness, inadequate social support, co-occurring medical conditions, perceived stigma, skin disease duration longer than five years, and poor adherence to dermatological medications. Conclusion- The study found that CMDs were common among patients with CSDs, and identified several determinants of CMDs in this population. Therefore, patients with CSDs should receive screening, early identification, and appropriate intervention for their mental health conditions, in addition to their dermatological complaints. Key Words: Skin disease, mental disorder, Prevalence, Multi-center