Abstract:
Background: The prevalence of depression among caregivers of mental illness greater than in
the general population which results in decrease the caregiver’s own resources and they may
also face problem in contributing as treatment supporter for the patients. Although depression is
a serious illness as well as highly treatable, most of people with depression do not seek help
because of unrecognized, misdiagnosed, or by the stigma related with a diagnosis of mental
illness.
Objective: To assess prevalence and associated factors of depression among caregivers living
with severe mental illness in psychiatry clinic at Jimma University specialized hospital (JUSH).
Methods: This study was conducted using a facility-based, cross-sectional study design among
caregivers of severe mental illness in Jimma University specialized hospital. Depression was
assessed by patient health questioner (PHQ-9) which is validated in Ethiopia among adult
population. Data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social
Science (SPSS version 20). Associations between depression and other variables were explored
first by using binary logistic regression analysis. Those variables ≤ 0.25 in binary logistic
regression were entered to multivariate logistic regression to identify factors independently
associated with depression after controlling for confounding variables.
Result: A total of 284 adult caregivers of severe mental illness patients were included in the
study with 100% of response rate. The prevalence of depression among caregivers was 33.8%
from our representative sample by using PHQ-9 at cut of point ≥10 based on severity. Widowed,
Perceived stigma and social support were independently associated with depression in this
study.
Conclusion and recommendation: In this study depression was found to be highly prevalent
among caregivers. Even though the prevalence of depression was high among caregivers, none
of them were screened. We recommend that timely recognition and treatment of depression
should be the critically important in reducing consequence of depression among caregivers and
to get better outcome and good adherence of mental ill patients.
