A Multi-Site Study of Mental Disorders in the Mozambican Health Care System

We examined if the frequency of mental disorders in a health facility varied based on the level of specialization of such facility, from primary care without mental health specialists (PrCMH  −), to those with mental health specialists (PrCMH +) and tertiary care (TerC), where both inpatient and outpatient mental health services are available. Participants were adults (convenience sample) seeking health or mental health services at six facilities (2 PrCMH + , 3 PrCMH −, and 1 TerC) in the cities of Maputo and Nampula in Mozambique. Mental disorders were assessed by the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) 4.0.0. We compared the sociodemographic characteristics and MINI diagnoses across the three types of health facilities. Multiple logistic regression m odels determined the likelihood that a person seeking services at each type of facility would have any mental disorder, common mental disorders (CMD), severe mental disorders (SMD), substance use disorders (SUD), and moderate-to-high suicide risk, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Of the 612 t otal participants, 52.6% (n = 322) were positive for at least one mental disorder: 37.1% were positive for CMD, 28.9% for SMD, 13.2% for SUD, and 10.5% had suicide risk. Presence of any mental disorder was highest in TerC (62.5%) and lowest in PrCMH − (48.4%). Adjusting for sociodemographic c ovariates, participants in PrCMH + were significantly more likely to have SMD (OR 1.85, 95%CI 1.10–3...
Source: Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research