COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG ADULT PATIENTS ADMITTED TO NON-PSYCHIATRIC WARDS OF PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN HARARI REGIONAL STATE, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Common mental disorders represent a psychiatric morbidity with significant prevalence, affecting individual in different age groups, causingsuffering for individuals, families, and communitiesand, influencingthe health status, treatment effectiveness, and quality of care of patients admitted to non-psychiatric wards. Evidence related to prevelance of common mental disorders and associated factors among adult patients admitted to non-psychiatric wards is limited, particularly in study area. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of common mental disorders and associated factors among adult patients admitted to non-psychiatric wards of public hospitals in the Harari region state, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 640 randomly selected patients admitted to non-psychiatric wards in public hospitals in Harari regionfrom November 15 to December 15, 2022. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. A self-report questionnaire (SRQ-20) was used to assess the presence of common mental disorders. The collected data was entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to STATA version 14 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to evaluate the association between independent and the outcome variable. Variables with p-value <0.05 were taken as statistically significant with adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Results: the prevalence of common mental disorders among adult patients admitted tonon-psychiatric wardswas found to be 45.3%, with a 95% CI: (41.3-49.2). Age 41-51years (AOR=1.732,95%CI; 1.030 ,2.913), age 51 and above (AOR=2.429, 95% CI:1.515, 3.894), staying at hospital for 1-2 weeks (AOR =1.743, 95% CI:1.065, 2.853), stayingat hospital for more than 4 weeks (AOR =2.12,95% CI:1.77,3.29), history of mental ilnness (AOR =5.841, 95% CI:2.274 ,15.004), stressfull life events (AOR=1.876, 95% CI:1.206,2.9196), current substance use (AOR=1.688,95% CI:1.075, 2.650), and poor social support (AOR =2.562, 95% CI:1.166, 5.629) were factors significantly associated with common mental disorders. Conclusion: The prevalence of common mental disorders among patients admitted to non-psychiatric wards was high. It appears to be significantly associated with age, length of hospital stay, historyof mental illness, stressful life events, current substance use, and social support.The study suggested that patients who are admitted in non-psychiatric wards should be screen for common mental disorders andits associated factors as part of routine inpatient care.