Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression among General Outpatients in a Tertiary Institution in Kano, North-Western Nigeria

Background: Depression is common psychiatric disorder among general outpatients. Prevalence of depression and associated factors among this population has been studied in some parts of Nigeria. However, few if any were conducted in the most populous geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Materials & Method: This study determines the prevalence of depression and associated factors among general outpatients. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. 402 of the 410 participants recruited for the study completed the study. Diagnosis of depression was confirmed using SCAN (Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry) ver. 2.1. Severity of depression was rated using HDRS (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale). Result: Two hundred were subsequently diagnosed depressed using SCAN out of 213 who scored HADS cutoff point, given the prevalence of 49.8%. The prevalence of subtypes of depression was: Mild 26.9%, moderate 20.4% and severe 2.5%. A statistically significant association was found between depression and some socio-demographic factors which include age (p = 0.001, X2 = 11.46), gender (p = 0.001, X2 = 20.58)), marital status (p = 0.001, X2 = 11.16), educational status (p = 0.001, X2 = 10.8) and chronic medical conditions (p = 0.001, X2 = 11.77). Depressed outpatient is more likely to be over 40 yrs, female, married, having low level of education and suffering from chronic medical condition(s). However, there was no significant association between depression and employment status, family history of mental illness and substance use in this study. Conclusion: This study found high prevalence of depression among general outpatients. It is associated with age, marital status educational level and chronic medical conditions. General practitioners should lookout for depression especially among patients with the associated socio-demographic factors. Some easy-to-use screening tools Corresponding author. A. S. Salihu, O. Udofia 229 like PHQ-2 should be included in the routine assessment of outpatients in Family Medicine departments. Task-sharing strategy as enshrined in mental health gap (mhGAP) document should be implemented to improve detection of depression at primary care level.