The relationship between common mental disorders (CMDs), food insecurity and domestic violence in pregnant women during the COVID-19 lockdown in Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract Purpose We aimed to explore the relationship between common mental disorders (CMDs), food insecurity and experiences of domestic violence among pregnant women attending public sector midwife obstetric units and basic antenatal care clinics in Cape Town during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods Perinatal women, attending 14 healthcare facilities in Cape Town, were enrolled in the study during baseline data collection before the COVID-19 lockdown. During the lockdown period, fieldworkers telephonically contacted the perinatal women who were enrolled in the study and had provided contact details. The following data were collected from those who consented to the study: socio-demographic information, mental health assessment, food insecurity status and experiences of domestic violence. Poisson regression was used to model the associations of a number of risk factors with the occurrence of CMDs. Results Of the 2149 women enrolled in the ASSET study, 885 consented to telephonic interviews. We found that 12.5% of women had probable CMDs and 43% were severely food insecure. Psychological distress increased significantly during the lockdown period, compared to before the COVID-19 outbreak. Using multivariate Poisson regression modelling, we showed that the risk of CMDs was increased in women who were severely food insecure or who experienced psychological or sexual abuse. Conclusions This study provides evidence of the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on the mental health status of perinatal women living in low-resource settings in Cape Town and highlights how a crisis such as the COVID-19 lockdown amplifies the psycho-social risk factors associated with CMDs in perinatal women.

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Domestic violence, food insecurity and mental health of pregnant women in the COVID-19 lockdown in Cape Town, South Africa

10.21203/rs.3.rs-102205/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zulfa Abrahams ◽

Sonet Boisits ◽

Marguerite Schneider ◽

Martin Prince ◽

Crick Lund

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

South Africa ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Poisson Regression ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Cape Town ◽

Perinatal Women

Abstract Introduction Common mental disorders (CMD) such as depression and anxiety are associated with low household income, food insecurity and intimate partner violence in perinatal women. The national COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa resulted in increased levels of poverty and food insecurity. We aimed to explore the relationship between CMDs, food insecurity and experiences of violence among pregnant women during the COVID-19 lockdown.Methods Perinatal women, attending 14 healthcare facilities in Cape Town, were enrolled in the study during baseline data collection before the COVID-19 lockdown. During the lockdown period, fieldworkers telephonically contacted the perinatal women who were enrolled in the study and had provided contact details. The following data was collected from those who consented to the study: socio-demographic information, mental health assessment, food insecurity status and experiences of abuse. Poisson regression was used to model the associations of a number of risk factors with the occurrence of CMDs.Results Of the 2149 women enrolled in the ASSET study, 885 consented to the telephonic interviews. We found that 12.5% of women had probable CMDs and 43% were severely food insecure. Psychological distress increased significantly during the lockdown period, compared to before the COVID-19 outbreak. The strength of the association between key risk factors measured during the lockdown and psychological distress increased during the COVID-19 lockdown. Using multivariate Poisson regression modelling, we showed that the risk of CMDs was almost three times more likely in women who were severely food insecure or who experienced psychological or sexual abuse. Conclusions This study provides evidence of the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on the mental health status of perinatal women living in low resource settings in Cape Town, and highlights how a crisis such as the COVID-19 lockdown amplifies the psycho-social risk factors associated with CMDs in perinatal women.

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Food insecurity and common mental disorders in perinatal women living in low socio-economic settings in Cape Town, South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cohort study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-692244/v2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zulfa Abrahams ◽

Crick Lund

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

South Africa ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Cape Town ◽

Baseline Risk ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Perinatal Women

Abstract Background Common mental disorders (CMDs) such as depression and anxiety are highly prevalent during the perinatal period, and are associated with poverty, food insecurity and domestic violence. We used data collected from perinatal women at two time-points during the COVID-19 pandemic to test the hypotheses that (1) socio-economic adversities at baseline would be associated with higher CMD prevalence at follow-up and (2) worse mental health at baseline would be associated with higher food insecurity prevalence at follow-up. Methods Telephonic interviews were conducted with perinatal women attending healthcare facilities in Cape Town, South Africa. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to model the associations of baseline risk factors with the prevalence of household food insecurity and CMD at 3 months follow-up. Results At baseline 859 women were recruited, of whom 217 (25%) were pregnant, 106 (12%) had probable CMD, and 375 (44%) were severely food insecure. At follow-up (n=634), 22 (4%) were still pregnant, 44 (7%) had probable CMD, and 207 (33%) were severely food insecure. In the multivariable regression model, after controlling for confounders, the odds of being food insecure at follow-up were greater in women who were unemployed [OR=2.05 (1.46-2.87); p<0.001] or had probable CMD [OR=2.37 (1.35-4.18); p=0.003] at baseline; and the odds of probable CMD at follow-up were greater in women with psychological distress [OR=2.81 (1.47-5.39); p=0.002] and abuse [OR=2.47 (1.47-4.39); p=0.007] at baseline. Conclusions This study highlights the complex bidirectional relationship between mental health and socioeconomic adversity among perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Partner alcohol use, violence and women's mental health: population-based survey in India

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.109.068049 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 196 (3) ◽

pp. 192-199 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Madhabika B. Nayak ◽

Vikram Patel ◽

Jason C. Bond ◽

Thomas K. Greenfield

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Population Based ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Mediation Effects ◽

The Relationship

BackgroundThe relationship between partner alcohol use and violence as risk factors for poor mental health in women is unclear.AimsTo describe partner-related and other psychosocial risk factors for common mental disorders in women and examine interrelationships between these factors.MethodData are reported on 821 women aged 18–49 years from a larger population study in north Goa, India. Logistic regression models evaluated the risks for women's common mental disorders and tested for mediation effects in the relationship between partner alcohol use and these disorders.ResultsExcessive partner alcohol use increased the risk for common mental disorders two- to threefold. Partner violence and alcohol-related problems each partially mediated the association between partner excessive alcohol use and these mental disorders. Women's own violence-related attitudes were also independently associated with them.ConclusionsPartner alcohol use, partner violence and women's violence-related attitudes must be addressed to prevent and treat common mental disorders in women.

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Food insecurity and common mental disorders in perinatal women living in low socio-economic settings in Cape Town, South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cohort study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-692244/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zulfa Abrahams ◽

Crick Lund

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

South Africa ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Household Food ◽

Perinatal Women

Abstract Objective: Common mental disorders (CMDs) such as depression and anxiety are highly prevalent during the perinatal period, and are associated with food insecurity, domestic violence and lack of social support. This study explores the relationship between household food insecurity, mental health status and several adverse social and economic factors experienced by perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design: Cohort study, using telephonic interviews at two time-points, three months apart. Logistic regression analysis was used to model the associations of several baseline risk factors with the occurrence of household food insecurity at follow-up as the outcome.Setting: Midwife obstetric units or basic antenatal care units in Cape Town, South Africa.Participants: The sample comprised of 880 perinatal women at baseline and 660 women at follow-up. Results: At baseline 23% were pregnant, 54% were unemployed, 13% had a probable CMD, 43% were severely food insecure and 21% experienced domestic abuse in the past year. Of the 660 women interviewed at follow-up, 71% were unemployment, 3.5% were pregnant, 7% had a probable CMD, and 32% were severely food insecure. In the multivariate regression model, after controlling for ethnicity, number of children, being HIV-infected, and having a planned pregnancy, the odds of being food insecure were greater in women who were unemployed (OR=1.88; p=0.001) or had probable CMD (OR=2.20; p=0.019) at baseline. Conclusions: This study highlights a range of socio-demographic and mental health related variables that predict food insecurity among perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The epidemiology of common mental disorders in Libya: a systematic review

The Egyptian Journal of Neurology Psychiatry and Neurosurgery ◽

10.1186/s41983-021-00408-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mansour Abdulshafea ◽

Abdul Hakim Rhouma ◽

Nadeem Gire ◽

Ali AlMadhoob ◽

Usman Arshad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Mental Health Research ◽

Middle Income ◽

Prevalence Studies ◽

The Status ◽

Associated Risk Factors

Abstract Introduction There has been a global increase in the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD), particularly in conflict hotspots. The limited amount of resources is one of the key barriers to effective treatment within Low- and Middle-income countries (LAMICs). The lack of service provision for mental health disorders in LAMICs has resulted in limited opportunities to conduct mental health research. Libya is a North African country that has suffered from ongoing conflict with the current political unrest in Libya further impacting the mental health of the population. Main text The aim of this review is to conduct a synthesis of evidence regarding the estimated prevalence and associated risk factors of CMD in Libya. A search was completed in the academic databases; PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINHAL, and the Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC) from inception to March 2020. Only studies that investigated prevalence and associated risk factors of CMD in Libya were included. A total of 219 studies were identified of which 15 met the inclusion criteria for the review. There were (n = 3) papers investigated the prevalence of depression, (n = 4) studies were focused on stress-related disorders and the remaining papers looked at both anxiety and depression. Statistically, sample sizes of the included studies ranged from (n = 41–13,031) for the prevalence studies (mean = 1188.6, median = 233). Conclusion The status of Libya as a conflict hotspot has led to a reduced level of epidemiological data on mental health, with a vital need to conduct research in CMD. Libya requires better clinical governance which can allow for more scientific research into CMD and enabling the Libyan government to develop evidence-based policy initiatives for CMD.

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Child Dietary Diversity, Household Food Insecurity, Child Stunting and Maternal Mental Health Symptoms in Vakinankaratra, Madagascar

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa043_146 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 295-295

Author(s):

Christine Walters ◽

Joel Komakech ◽

Hasina Rakotomanana ◽

Barbara Stoecker

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Maternal Mental Health ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Child Stunting ◽

Household Food ◽

Adjusted Model

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to determine the association between child dietary diversity, household food insecurity, child stunting, and maternal mental health symptoms in the Vakinankaratra region of Madagascar. Methods This cross-sectional study included 391 mother-child dyads. The World Health Organization (WHO) standards were used for defining child dietary diversity and child stunting and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used for food insecurity scores. Maternal symptoms of common mental disorders were assessed using the WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ), which was translated into Malagasy and pre-tested; a cutoff of seven was used to indicate the occurrence of symptoms of common mental disorders. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models adjusted for strata, cluster, and confounding variables were conducted with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. Results More than half (56.8%) of the mothers reported symptoms of common mental disorders and more than half of the children (69.4%) were stunted. The mean HFIAS score was 10.3 (±5.6) and mean child dietary diversity score was 3.0 (±1.31). Symptoms of common mental disorders were significantly associated with child dietary diversity score in the bivariate analysis but became nonsignificant in the final adjusted model (β = –0.22, P = 0.06, R2 = 0.07). In the adjusted model, having symptoms of common mental disorders was significantly associated with higher HFIAS score (β = 3.45, P < 0.0001, R2 = 0.13) and HFIAS scores were significantly associated with having symptoms of common mental disorders (AOR = 1.31 [1.09–1.17], P < 0.0001). Maternal symptoms of common mental disorders were significantly associated with stunting (AOR = 1.68 [1.02–2.78], P < 0.05). Conclusions Maternal mental health and household food insecurity were significantly associated in this rural area of the Vakinankaratra region in Madagascar. Furthermore, assessing maternal symptoms of common mental disorders and referring mothers for mental health care appears to be an important consideration for improving child stunting in the region. Funding Sources Oklahoma State University.

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The WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys

Die Psychiatrie ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1671923 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 06 (01) ◽

pp. 5-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

S. Aguilar-Gaxiola ◽

J. Alonso ◽

S. Chatterji ◽

S. Lee ◽

T. B. Üstün ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Treatment Effectiveness ◽

Age Of Onset ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Mental Health Policy ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Cost Effective ◽

World Mental Health ◽

Prevalence Estimates

SummaryThe paper presents an overview of the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative and summarizes recent WMH results regarding the prevalence and societal costs of mental disorders. The WMH surveys are representative community surveys that were carried out in 28 countries throughout the world aimed at providing information to mental health policy makers about the prevalence, burden, and unmet need for treatment of common mental disorders. Results show that mental disorders are commonly occurring in all participating countries. The inter-quartile range (IQR: 25th-75th percentiles) of lifetime DSM-IV disorder prevalence estimates (combining anxiety, mood, disruptive behavior, and substance disorders) is 18.1-36.1%. The IQR of 12-month prevalence estimates is 9.8-19.1%. Analysis of age-of-onset reports shows that many mental disorders begin in childhood-adolescence and have significant adverse effects on subsequent role transitions. Adult mental disorders are found in the WMH data to be associated with high levels of role impairment. Despite this burden, the majority of mental disorders go untreated. Although these results suggest that expansion of treatment could be cost-effective from both the employer perspective and the societal perspective, treatment effectiveness trials are needed to confirm this suspicion. The WMH results regarding impairments are being used to target several such interventions.

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Is Pacific language ability protective of prevalence of mental disorders among Pacific peoples in New Zealand?

Pacific Health Dialog ◽

10.26635/phd.2018.902 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 10-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eirenei Taua'i ◽

Rose Richards ◽

Jesse Kokaua

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

New Zealand ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Health Services ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Mental Health Disorder ◽

Positive Role ◽

Pacific People ◽

Language Promotion

Aims: To explore associations between experiences of mental illness, migration status and languages spoken among Pacific adults living in NZ. Methods: SURVEY FREQ and SURVEY LOGISTIC procedures in SAS were applied to data from Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand (NZ) Mental Health Survey, a survey of 12,992 New Zealand adults aged 16 and over in 2003/2004. Pacific people were over sampled and this paper focuses on the 2374 Pacific participants but includes, for comparison, 8160 non-Maori-non-Pacific (NMNP) participants. Results: Pacific migrant respondents had the lowest prevalence of mental disorders compared to other Pacific peoples. However, Pacific immigrants were also less likely to use mental health services, suggesting an increased likelihood of experiencing barriers to available mental health care. Those who were born in NZ and who were proficient in a Pacific language had the lowest levels of common mental disorders, suggesting a protective effect for the NZ-born population. Additionally, access to mental health services was similar between NZ-born people who spoke a Pacific language and those who did not. Conclusions: We conclude that, given the association between Pacific language and reduced mental disorder, there may be a positive role for Pacific language promotion in efforts to reduce the prevalence of mental health disorder among Pacific communities in NZ.

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Evidence-Based Practice in School Mental Health

10.1093/oso/9780190886578.001.0001 ◽

2019 ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Adolescent Psychopathology ◽

Real Life ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Dsm 5 ◽

School Based ◽

K 12

Schools have become the default mental health providers for children and adolescents, but they are often poorly equipped to meet the mental health needs of their students. The introduction tackles how to make students eligible for school-based services using the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Using the new DSM-5 as an organizing principle, this book then addresses the 12 most common mental disorders of childhood and adolescence, ages 3–18. While there are many books that address child and adolescent psychopathology, this book focuses on how to help students with mental disorders in pre-K–12 schools. Each chapter addresses the prevalence of a disorder in school-age populations, appropriate diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, comorbid disorders, rapid assessment instruments available, school-based interventions using multitiered systems of support, and easy-to-follow suggestions for progress monitoring. Unique to this book, each chapter has detailed suggestions for how school-based clinicians can collaborate with teachers, parents, and community providers to address the needs of youth with mental health problems so that school, home, and community work together. Each chapter ends with a list of extensive web resources and a real-life case example drawn from the clinical practice of the authors. The final chapter addresses two newly proposed diagnoses for self-harm in the DSM-5 and brings a cautious and sensible approach to assessing and helping students who may be at risk for serious self-injury or suicide.

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Prevalence of Mental Disorders by Socioeconomic Status in Australia: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Study

American Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/0890117120968656 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 089011712096865

Author(s):

Rubayyat Hashmi ◽

Khorshed Alam ◽

Jeff Gow ◽

Sonja March

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

National Health Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Lower Odds ◽

Socioeconomic Groups ◽

Income Groups ◽

Weighted Prevalence

Purpose: To present the prevalence of 3 broad categories of mental disorder (anxiety-related, affective and other disorders) by socioeconomic status and examine the associated socioeconomic risk factors of mental disorders in Australia. Design: A population-based, cross-sectional national health survey on mental health and its risk factors across Australia. Setting: National Health Survey (NHS), 2017-2018 conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Participants: Under aged: 4,945 persons, Adult: 16,370 persons and total: 21,315 persons Measures: Patient-reported mental disorder outcomes Analysis: Weighted prevalence rates by socioeconomic status (equivalised household income, education qualifications, Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) scores, labor force status and industry sector where the adult respondent had their main job) were estimated using cross-tabulation. Logistic regression utilizing subsamples of underage and adult age groups were analyzed to test the association between socioeconomic status and mental disorders. Results: Anxiety-related disorders were the most common type of disorders with a weighted prevalence rate of 20.04% (95% CI: 18.49-21.69) for the poorest, 13.85% (95% CI: 12.48-15.35) for the richest and 16.34% (95% CI: 15.7-17) overall. The weighted prevalence rate for mood/affective disorders were 20.19% (95% CI: 18.63-21.84) for the poorest, 9.96% (95% CI: 8.79-11.27) for the richest, and 13.57% (95% CI: 12.99-14.17) overall. Other mental disorders prevalence were for the poorest: 9.07% (95% CI: 7.91-10.39), the richest: 3.83% (95% CI: 3.14-4.66), and overall: 5.93% (95% CI: 5.53-6.36). These patterns are also reflected if all mental disorders were aggregated with the poorest: 30.97% (95% CI: 29.15-32.86), the richest: 19.59% (95% CI: 18.02-21.26), and overall: 23.93% (95% CI: 23.19-24.69). The underage logistic regression model showed significant lower odds for the middle (AOR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.53 -1.04, p < 0.1), rich (AOR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.5-0.99, p < 0.05) and richest (AOR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.41-0.89, p < 0.01) income groups. Similarly, in the adult logistic model, there were significant lower odds for middle (AOR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.72-0.98, p < 0.05), rich (AOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.62-0.86, p < 0.01) and richest (AOR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63-0.91, p < 0.01) income groups. Conclusion: The prevalence of mental disorders in Australia varied significantly across socioeconomic groups. Knowledge of different mental health needs in different socioeconomic groups can assist in framing evidence-based health promotion and improve the targeting of health resource allocation strategies.

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