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

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.