Changing patterns of mental health knowledge in rural Kenya after intervention using the WHO mhGAP-Intervention Guide.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high prevalence of mental disorders, mental health literacy has been comparatively neglected. People's symptom-management strategies will be influenced by their mental health literacy. This study sought to determine the feasibility of using the World Health Organization mhGAP-Intervention Guide (IG) as an educational tool for one-on-one contact in a clinical setting to increase literacy on the specified mental disorders. METHODS: This study was conducted in 20 health facilities in Makueni County, southeast Kenya which has one of the poorest economies in Kenya. It has no psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. We recruited 3267 participants from a community that had already been exposed to community mental health services. We used Mental Health Knowledge Schedule to measure the changing patterns of mental health knowledge after a period of 3 months, following a training intervention using the WHO mhGAP-IG. RESULTS: Overall, there was a significant increase in mental health related knowledge [mean range 22.4-23.5 for both post-test and pre-test scores (p < 0.001)]. This increase varied with various socio-demographic characteristics such as sex, marital status, level of education, employment status and wealth index. CONCLUSIONS: mhGAP-IG is a feasible tool to increase mental health literacy in low-resource settings where there are no mental health specialists. Our study lends evidence that the WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020 and reduction of the treatment gap may be accelerated by the use of mhGAP-IG through improving knowledge about mental illness and potentially subsequent help seeking for early diagnosis and treatment.

PATTERNS OF POISONING AMONG PATIENTS AGED 0-13 YEARS AT A PAEDIATRIC HOSPITAL IN NAIROBI.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the pattern of poisoning amongst patients admitted at a paediatric hospital in Nairobi and compare it with that of other hospitals around the world DESIGN: A retrospective hospital based multivariate study. SETTING: Gertrude's Garden Children's Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. SUBJECTS: Medical records of all children admitted with a diagnosis of poisoning between January 2003 and December 2007. RESULTS: The age range of the study population was birth to 13 years. The mean age was 3.57 years with a standard deviation of ± 1.57 with a peak incidence in the one to three years old age group (56.7%). Males comprised 61.7% of the cases. The most common cause of poisoning was ingestion of a drug ( 46.7%). Petroleum products caused 30.0%, detergents 8.3% and organophosphates 6.7%. Ninety six point seven percent of poisonings were unintentional and 93.3% of injuries took place at home. There were no mortalities. CONCLUSION: The majority of these incidents were preventable. Measures need to be instituted to reduce the number of incidents of poisoning in children. This can take the form of health and safety education particularly in relation to storage of common household poisons.

Patterns of injuries in children who fall from a height as seen at Kenyatta National Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To describe injuries and outcomes among children who fall from a height DESIGN: Prospective, convenience hospital based study. SETTING: Paediatric surgical wards of Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, from November 2006 to February 2007. SUBJECTS: Children aged 1-13 years who sustained injuries after failing from any height. RESULTS: Eighty children were recruited. There were 61 male (76%) and 19 female (24%), with an age range 1-13 years. Most injuries occurred at home (78.75%) after falling from buildings (33.75%), and were of mild-to-moderate severity. 13.4% sustained external haemorrhage, 16.5% sustained facial injuries, 25.2% sustained CNS injuries, 43.3% sustained various fractures, and 1.6% sustained abdominal trauma. The head and musculoskeletal systems were the mostlikely regions to be injured. The most common diagnoses were supracondylar fracture of humerus and mild head injury. No thoracic or pelvic fractures were recorded. Recovery was good in most instances. CONCLUSION: Most children who sustain injuries after a fall from height do so after falling from a building. The most common types of injuries sustained were to the head and distal limbs, especially fractures. They were mostly of mild-moderate severity and recovery usually complete.

Factors associated with the onset of major depressive disorder in adults with type 2 diabetes living in 12 different countries: results from the INTERPRET-DD prospective study.

AIMS: To examine the factors that are associated with changes in depression in people with type 2 diabetes living in 12 different countries. METHODS: People with type 2 diabetes treated in out-patient settings aged 18-65 years underwent a psychiatric assessment to diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD) at baseline and follow-up. At both time points, participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the WHO five-item Well-being scale (WHO-5) and the Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale which measures diabetes-related distress. A composite stress score (CSS) (the occurrence of stressful life events and their reported degree of 'upset') between baseline and follow-up was calculated. Demographic data and medical record information were collected. Separate regression analyses were conducted with MDD and PHQ-9 scores as the dependent variables. RESULTS: In total, there were 7.4% (120) incident cases of MDD with 81.5% (1317) continuing to remain free of a diagnosis of MDD. Univariate analyses demonstrated that those with MDD were more likely to be female, less likely to be physically active, more likely to have diabetes complications at baseline and have higher CSS. Mean scores for the WHO-5, PAID and PHQ-9 were poorer in those with incident MDD compared with those who had never had a diagnosis of MDD. Regression analyses demonstrated that higher PHQ-9, lower WHO-5 scores and greater CSS were significant predictors of incident MDD. Significant predictors of PHQ-9 were baseline PHQ-9 score, WHO-5, PAID and CSS. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the importance of psychosocial factors in addition to physiological variables in the development of depressive symptoms and incident MDD in people with type 2 diabetes. Stressful life events, depressive symptoms and diabetes-related distress all play a significant role which has implications for practice. A more holistic approach to care, which recognises the interplay of these psychosocial factors, may help to mitigate their impact on diabetes self-management as well as MDD, thus early screening and treatment for symptoms is recommended.

Feasibility of WHO mhGAP-intervention guide in reducing experienced discrimination in people with mental disorders: a pilot study in a rural Kenyan setting.

AimsStigma can have a negative impact on help-seeking behaviour, treatment adherence and recovery of people with mental disorders. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of the WHO Mental Health Treatment Gap Interventions Guidelines (mhGAP-IG) to reduce stigma in face-to-face contacts during interventions for specific DSM-IV/ICD 10 diagnoses over a 6-month period. METHODS: This study was conducted in 20 health facilities across Makueni County in southeast Kenya which has one of the poorest economies in the country and has no psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. We recruited 2305 participants from the health facilities catchment areas that had already been exposed to community mental health services. We measured stigma using DISC-12 at baseline, followed by training to the health professionals on intervention using the WHO mhGAP-IG and then conducted a follow-up DISC-12 assessment after 6 months. Proper management of the patients by the trained professionals would contribute to the reduction of stigma in the patients. RESULTS: There was 59.5% follow-up at 6 months. Overall, there was a significant decline in 'reported/experienced discrimination' following the interventions. A multivariate linear mixed model regression indicated that better outcomes of 'unfair treatment' scores were associated with: being married, low education, being young, being self-employed, higher wealth index and being diagnosed with depression. For 'stopping self' domain, better outcomes were associated with being female, married, employed, young, lower wealth index and a depression diagnosis. In regards to 'overcoming stigma' domain; being male, being educated, employed, higher wealth index and being diagnosed with depression was associated with better outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The statistically significant (p < 0.05) reduction of discrimination following the interventions by trained health professionals suggest that the mhGAP-IG may be a useful tool for reduction of discrimination in rural settings in low-income countries.

Feasibility and effectiveness of nurses and clinical officers in implementing the WHO mhGAP intervention guide: Pilot study in Makueni County, Kenya.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of nurses and clinical officers in using the mental health Global Action Programme Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) as an intervention tool in reducing disability, improving quality of life in the clinical outcomes in patients with the mhGAP-IG priority mental disorders in a Kenyan rural setting. (2) To identify any gaps that can be contributed towards future research. METHODS: This study was conducted in 20 healthcare facilities across Makueni County in the South East of Kenya. This county had a population of approximately one million people, with no psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. We recruited 2306 participants from the healthcare facilities in the catchment areas that had previously been exposed to the community mental health awareness campaigns, while being subjected to screening for the mhGAP-IG disorders. We used the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for adults (MINI-Plus) for DSM-IV confirmatory diagnosis on those who screened positive on the mhGAP-IG. We measured disability using WHO-Disability Assessment Schedule II (DAS II), Quality of Life (QoL) using the WHO QoL-BREF, depression using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), suicidality using The Beck Suicide Scale (BSS), psychosis using the Washington Early Recognition Center Affectivity and Psychosis (WERCAP), epilepsy using a seizure questionnaire and alcohol and substance abuse using The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). These measurements were at the baseline, followed by the training for the health professionals on using the WHO mhGAP-IG as an interventional tool. The measurements were repeated at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. RESULTS: Of the 2306 participants enrolled in the study, we followed 1718 at 3 months and 1371 at 6 months a follow-up rate of 74.5% and 59.4% respectively. All participants received psycho-education and most depending on condition also received medication. Overall, there was significant decline in disabilities, improvement in seizure control and improvement in clinical outcomes on the identified mental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Trained, supervised and supported nurses and clinical officers can produce good outcomes using the mhGAP-IG for mental health.

A comparative study of psychotic and affective symptoms in Rwandan and Kenyan students.

AIMS: War and conflict are known to adversely affect mental health, although their effects on risk symptoms for psychosis development in youth in various parts of the world are unclear. The Rwandan genocide of 1994 and Civil War had widespread effects on the population. Despite this, there has been no significant research on psychosis risk in Rwanda. Our goal in the present study was to investigate the potential effects of genocide and war in two ways: by comparing Rwandan youth born before and after the genocide; and by comparing Rwandan and Kenyan adolescents of similar age. METHODS: A total of 2255 Rwandan students and 2800 Kenyan students were administered the Washington Early Recognition Center Affectivity and Psychosis (WERCAP) Screen. Prevalence, frequency and functional impairment related to affective and psychosis-risk symptoms were compared across groups using univariate and multivariate statistics. RESULTS: Rwandan students born before the end of the genocide and war in 1994 experienced higher psychotic and affective symptom load (p's < 0.001) with more functional impairment compared with younger Rwandans. 5.35% of older Rwandan students met threshold for clinical high-risk of psychosis by the WERCAP Screen compared with 3.19% of younger Rwandans (χ 2 = 5.36; p = 0.02). Symptom severity comparisons showed significant (p < 0.001) group effects between Rwandan and Kenyan secondary school students on affective and psychotic symptom domains with Rwandans having higher symptom burden compared with Kenyans. Rwandan female students also had higher rates of psychotic symptoms compared with their male counterparts - a unique finding not observed in the Kenyan sample. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest extreme conflict and disruption to country from genocide and war can influence the presence and severity of psychopathology in youth decades after initial traumatic events.

Reverse sural island flap in coverage of defects lower third of leg: a series of nine cases.

The distally based sural island flap was first described by Masquelet, et al., in 1992. It is a skin island flap supplied by the vascular axis of the sural nerve. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that it can be applied in coverage of difficult wound in the lower third of the leg. We treated nine patients with nine distally based sural island flaps. All the flaps survived, most of the flaps had venous congestion. The largest flap was 10 x 8 cm and Doppler was used in only one flap. This technique is easy and quick to execute without sacrificing major arteries.

Psychometric properties of an African symptoms check list scale: the Ndetei-Othieno-Kathuku scale.

OBJECTIVES: To profile and quantify the psychometric properties of the NOK (Ndetei-Othieno-Kathuku) scale against internationally used Gold-standards and benchmarks for mild psychiatric disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders and to provide a potential easy to administer culture sensitive instrument for screening and assessing those with possible psychiatric disorders for the Kenyan and similar social-cultural situations. DESIGN: Cross-Sectional quantitative study. SETTING: A psychiatric clinical consultation setting and Kyanguli Secondary School psychotrauma counselling clinical set-up. SUBJECTS: Survivors of the Nairobi USA Embassy bombing who were referred for psychiatric treatment and survivors of a fire disaster from a rural Kenyan school (Kyanguli School fire disaster) including students, parents of the diseased children and staff members. RESULTS: Positive correlation was found between the NOK and all the instruments. The highest correlations were between the NOK and the BDI and SCL-90 (r = 0.557 to 0.786). The differences between the NOK scores among the different groups were statistically significant (F ratio = 13.54 to 160.34, p < 0.01). The reliability coefficient (internal consistency) of the scale, alpha = 0.9733. Other item statistics and correlations of the scale are discussed. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the NOK has high concurrent and discriminant validity as well as a high internal consistency and that it can be used for the rapid assessment of psychotrauma victims of all age groups; and stress in general in similar age groups in the local setting. It is culture appropriate and sensitive.

Extramedullary plasmacytoma of anorectum: case report.

A young anxious looking male presented with a referral diagnosis of recurred bilateral ischiorectal abscesses. Clinical examination and investigations showed an advanced lesion of the anorectum. Histology revealed an extramedullary plasmacytoma of the anorectum to which the patient succumbed and died within two weeks of presentation.

Traditional healers and provision of mental health services in cosmopolitan informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the types of mental illnesses treated by traditional healers, and their methods of identifying and treating mental illnesses in their patients. METHOD: In urban informal settlements of Kibera, Kangemi and Kawangware in Nairobi, Kenya, we used opportunistic sampling until the required number of traditional healers was reached, trying as much as possible to represent the different communities of Kenya. Focus group discussions were held with traditional healers in each site and later an in-depth interview was conducted with each traditional healer. An in-depth interview with each patient of the traditional healer was conducted and thereafter the MINIPLUS was administered to check the mental illness diagnoses arrived at or missed by the traditional healers. Quantitative analysis was performed using SPSS while focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were analysed for emerging themes. RESULTS: Traditional healers are consulted for mental disorders by members of the community. They are able to recognize some mental disorders, particularly those relating to psychosis. However, they are limited especially for common mental disorders. CONCLUSION: There is a need to educate healers on how to recognize different types of mental disorders and make referrals when patients are not responding to their treatments.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms among adolescents in Nairobi public secondary schools: association with perceived maladaptive parental behaviour.

OBJECTIVE: Depression in adolescents is a matter of concern because of its high prevalence, potential recurrence and impairment of functioning in the affected individual. The study sought to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms among adolescents in Nairobi (Kenya) public secondary schools; make a comparison between day and boarding students; and identify associated factors in this population. METHOD: A random sample of school going adolescents was taken from a stratified sample of 17 secondary schools out of the 49 public secondary schools in Nairobi province. The sample was stratified to take into account geographical distribution, day and boarding schools, boys only, girls only and mixed (co-education) schools in the capital city of Kenya. Self administered instruments (EMBU and CDI) were used to measure perceived parental behaviour and levels of depression in a total of 1,276 students excluding those who had no living parent. RESULTS: The prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms was 26.4%. The occurrence was higher in girls than it was in boys p<0.001. Students in boarding schools had more clinically significant depressive symptoms compared to day students (p=0.01). More girls exhibited suicidal behaviour than boys (p<0.001). There was a significant correlation between depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviour (p<0.001). CDI scores correlated positively with age (p<0.001) with an increase in CDI score with unit increase in age among students 14-17 years old, perceived rejecting maternal parenting behaviour (p<0.001), perceived no emotional attachment paternal behaviour (p<0.001), perceived no emotional attachment maternal behaviour (p<0.001), and perceived under protective paternal behaviour (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Perceived maladaptive parental behaviours are substantially associated with the development of depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviour in children.

Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of mental illness among staff in general medical facilities in Kenya: practice and policy implications.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about mental illness among staff in general hospitals. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on staff in ten medical facilities in Kenya on their socio-demographic characteristics, professional qualifications and knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) toward mental illness. RESULTS: A total of 684 general hospital staff: nurses (47.8%); doctors (18.1%); registered clinical officers (5.1%); students (9.5%) and support staff (19.5%) were recruited. About three quarters were under 40 years of age; most thought mental illness could be managed in general hospital facilities; the older the doctors were (age 40 years and older) the more they were aware of and positive towards mental illness. Most of the workers did not suspect any psychiatric symptoms among the patients they treated resulting in low referral rates for psychiatric services. CONCLUSION: There are gaps in knowledge on mental illness which could be constructively filled with Continued Medical Education (CME).

Profiles of referrals to a psychiatric service: a descriptive study of survivors of the Nairobi US Embassy terrorist bomb blast.

OBJECTIVE: To document the socio-demographic characteristics and psychiatric profiles of the survivors of the Nairobi United States Embassy terrorist bomb blast referred to a psychiatric and psychotherapy (counselling) service. METHOD: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Clinical interviews and structured questionnaires for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and stress were administered. Survivors of the bomb blast referred to a psychiatric and psychotherapy service one year or more after the bombing were included in the study. These survivors had been treated using psychopharmacotherapy and individualised (not group) therapy/counselling. RESULTS: Eighty-three consecutive referrals to a psychiatric service participated in this study. There were more males and the sample was generally well educated. The referrals made contact with the referring agency for a number of reasons including seeking psychological, financial and medical assistance. All the patients reported varying degrees of psychiatric symptoms and functional impairment on various aspects of social occupational functioning. High scores for PTSD and other related stress were recorded one or more years after the bombing. CONCLUSION: Although the survivors indicated that initial counselling following the blast had helped them, they still scored high on PTSD suggesting that clinically, the initial counselling had little, if any impact on the development of PTSD. There is need for a holistic approach to the management of psychotrauma in individuals.

Perceived economic and behavioural effects of the mentally ill on their relatives in Kenya: a case study of the Mathari Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: There is no documented evidence in Kenya on relatives' perceptions of economic and behavioural effects of the mentally ill patients and their coping mechanisms. To document what relatives of mentally ill patients perceive to be the economic effects of the patients on the family and how they are affected by and cope with the disturbed behaviours of the patients. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at the Mathari Psychiatric Hospital. Informed consent was obtained from both the relatives and the patients admitted at the hospital. Data on socio-demographic and economic profiles were obtained from the patients and their relatives. The relatives were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to determine what they perceived to be the economic effects of the mental illness, how the various disturbed behaviours of the mentally ill affected them, and how they coped. The data were analysed using SPSS version 11.5 and results are presented in narratives and tables. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-five relatives and 107 patients were recruited and interviewed. The patients were younger and better educated but economically less well off than their relatives. The relatives perceived that the mentally ill patients caused financial constraints and that various disturbed behaviours, particularly, verbal and physical aggression and refusal of the patient to take medicine or go to hospital, affected the family in different ways. Different coping mechanisms were used, depending on whether or not the behaviours were intrusive. CONCLUSION: Mentally ill patients adversely affect their families in diverse ways. There is need for appropriate policy to address the needs of families with mentally ill patients at the family and community levels. However, these must be evidence-based and this calls for further research.

Obsessive-compulsive (oc) symptoms in psychiatric in-patients at Mathari hospital, Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: To document the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) among patients admitted at Mathari Psychiatric Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. METHOD: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at the Mathari Hospital. RESULTS: Out of 691 patients interviewed, 84 (12.2%) had symptoms which met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMIV) criteria for OCD, which started early in life. The clinicians had not recognized the OC symptoms/disorder. There were high co-morbidities between OCD and other Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) core syndromes as well as psychotic symptoms often associated with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: OC symptoms are common in psychiatric patients admitted at Mathari Hospital although such symptoms were clinically undetected and therefore not managed. The high co-morbidities between OCD, other psychiatric disorders and other psychiatric symptoms pose clinical challenges in differentiating between psychotic symptoms perceived by the patients to have an external locus and OC symptoms perceived to have an internal locus. A more systematic clinical procedure for assessing all DSM-IV symptoms should be adapted as standard quality control practice in all patients, particularly those with psychotic symptoms.

Burnout in staff working at the Mathari psychiatric hospital.

OBJECTIVE: As there are no data on burnout in staff in Kenyan psychiatric hospitals, this study sought to document the level of burnout among the staff at the Mathari Psychiatric Hospital. METHOD: This was a cross sectional descriptive study of staff working at Mathari Psychiatric Hospital. The hospital staff completed self-administered questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics and work environment and the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services and General Survey. Analysis of the data was undertaken using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5. RESULTS: Ninety-five percent of the respondents reported low to high emotional exhaustion while 87.8% reported depersonalization. Low accomplishment was reported by only 38.6% while 61.4% reported average to high personal accomplishment. Several work- and non-work-related factors including young age, number of own children, number of years worked, heavy workload and low morale were positively associated with various syndromes of burnout. Relationships at work, with family and society were generally rated as average. The staff made recommendations on how to improve the social support system and work performance. CONCLUSION: High levels of burnout were reported. These should be addressed at individual, collective and institutional levels.