Burden of mental disorders and unmet needs among street homeless people in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BMC Medicine

Martin Prince⁹  Graham Thornicroft⁹  Philip Timms¹  Alehegn Ketema⁵  Teketel Tegegn⁸  Abraham Workneh²  Teshome Shibre⁷  Girmay Medhin⁶  Yonas Baheretibeb⁸  Tsehaysina Gebre-Eyesus⁴  Solomon Teferra⁸  Haddis Solomon³  Melkamu Agedew³  Emebet Gebre-Eyesus³  Charlotte Hanlon⁹  Abebaw Fekadu³ 

[1] South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK;Addis Ababa University, Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;Amanuel Specialized Mental Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;Department of Internal Medicine, St Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;Mental Health Society-Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;Addis Ababa University, Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;University of Toronto, Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences, Toronto, Canada;Department of Psychiatry, Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;Health Services and Population Research Department, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

关键词: Ethiopia;    Low- and middle-income country;    Unmet needs;    Prevalence;    Severe mental disorder;    Mental illness;    Rooflessness;    Homelessness;   

Others  :  1121532
DOI  :  10.1186/s12916-014-0138-x

 received in 2014-04-27, accepted in 2014-07-28,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

The impact of mental disorders among homeless people is likely to be substantial in low income countries because of underdeveloped social welfare and health systems. As a first step towards advocacy and provision of care, we conducted a study to determine the burden of psychotic disorders and associated unmet needs, as well as the prevalence of mental distress, suicidality, and alcohol use disorder among homeless people in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among street homeless adults. Trained community nurses screened for potential psychosis and administered standardized measures of mental distress, alcohol use disorder and suicidality. Psychiatric nurses then carried out confirmatory diagnostic interviews of psychosis and administered a locally adapted version of the Camberwell Assessment of Needs Short Appraisal Schedule.

Results

We assessed 217 street homeless adults, about 90% of whom had experienced some form of mental or alcohol use disorder: 41.0% had psychosis, 60.0% had hazardous or dependent alcohol use, and 14.8% reported attempting suicide in the previous month. Homeless people with psychosis had extensive unmet needs with 80% to 100% reporting unmet needs across 26 domains. Nearly 30% had physical disability (visual and sensory impairment and impaired mobility). Only 10.0% of those with psychosis had ever received treatment for their illness. Most had lived on the streets for over 2 years, and alcohol use disorder was positively associated with chronicity of homelessness.

Conclusion

Psychoses and other mental and behavioural disorders affect most people who are street homeless in Addis Ababa. Any programme to improve the condition of homeless people should include treatment for mental and alcohol use disorders. The findings have significant implications for advocacy and intervention programmes, particularly in similar low income settings.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Fekadu et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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