Determination of appropriate clomipramine dosage among depressed African outpatients in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

In an open clomipramine dose finding study, 33 depressed indigenous African outpatients were randomly assigned to two regimens of treatment with 125 mg and 75 mg oral medications daily. At the end of eight weeks of treatment, 16 patients (48.5 pc) were on the 75 mg regime, and 17 (54.8 pc) were on 125 mg. Analysis of depression scores on the Beck-Rafaelsen scale indicated improvements of depression in both regimes of equal magnitude. Analysis of variance showed no statistically significant difference on dose response between the two regimes. The higher doses, however, were associated with more drowsiness and tremulousness. It is suggested that Black African patients respond to tricyclic antidepressants in much lower doses than those recommended in Western textbooks. It is also apparent that side effects of tricyclic antidepressants, which have been implicated in non-compliance to medication, could be avoided without compromising treatment outcome.

From teenage unwanted pregnancy to induced abortion: who facilitates links?

PIP: Through use of a semi-structured interview schedule, the abortion decision-making process of 150 Dar es Salaam adolescents (mean age, 17.5 years) admitted with abortion-related complications was analyzed, with particular emphasis on the involvement of social networks. The male partner was the most frequent (47.3%) first confidant after pregnancy was suspected, followed by close relatives (35.1%) and girlfriends (14.0%). 62.0%, 41,7%, and 68.8% of these confidants, respectively, advised the teen to terminate the pregnancy; the remainder tended to express a lack of interest in her predicament. The link to an abortionist was provided by mothers, sisters, or aunts in 33% of cases, by the male partner in 32% of cases, and by girlfriends in another 24%. Male partners were more likely to provide funds for the abortion--especially if the woman was a student--than to help her access an abortionist. When abortion-related complications created a need for hospitalization, only 18% of male partners provided assistance; this burden fell upon female relatives. It is postulated that male involvement, beyond the provision of money, is inhibited by the potential legal and social consequences of illegal abortion in Tanzania.^ieng

Understanding women's experiences of distress during pregnancy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Several studies show depression is common during pregnancy. However, there is limited information in Tanzania on the magnitude of perceived distress during pregnancy and meanings ascribed to such distress. A descriptive survey collected data using unstructured interviews from 12 traditional practitioners and 10 peri-urban women with previous pregnancy related mental health concerns identified using a depression vignette. The objectives were to describe the sources and characteristics of distress during pregnancy, and idioms of distress that could inform cultural adaptation of depression screening tools. Narrative analysis showed an emergent category of "problematic pregnancies" framed women's recollections of prolonged periods of sadness. This experience was qualified using various idioms of distress that were differentially emphasized depending on informant's perceived causes of health concern. The idiom kusononeka was consistently used to describe extreme sadness across causal categories and clustered with at least two typical features of major depression. This suggested existence of a construct with similarities to biomedical criteria for depression. "Thinking too much" emerged as a distinctive expression associated with prolonged sadness. Distinctive expressions of social functioning impairments were identified that can inform depression severity assessments. In conclusion, contextual inquiry into experiences of psychological distress showed distinct local idioms that clustered in patterns similar to symptoms of biomedical depressive episodes. Further studies to assess the utility of local idioms of distress and distress related functional impairment in depression assessment tools are warranted.

Socio-economic and partner relationship factors associated with antenatal depressive morbidity among pregnant women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Depression during pregnancy may negatively influence social functioning, birth outcomes and postnatal mental health. A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline survey of a prospective study was undertaken with an objective of determining the prevalence and socio-demographic factors associated with depressive morbidity during pregnancy in a Tanzanian peri-urban setting. Seven hundred and eighty seven second to third trimester pregnant women were recruited at booking for antenatal care at two primary health care clinics. Prenatal structured interviews assessed socio-economic, quality of partner relationships and selected physical health measures. Depressive symptoms were measured at recruitment and three and eight months postpartum using the Kiswahili version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Completed antenatal measures available for 76.2% participants, showed a 39.5% prevalence of depression. Having a previous depressive episode (OR 4.35, P<0.01), low (OR 2.18, P<0.01) or moderate (OR 1.86, P=0.04) satisfaction with ability to access basic needs, conflicts with the current partner (OR 1.89, P<0.01), or booking earlier for antenatal care (OR 1.87, P=0.02) were independent predictors of antenatal depression in the logistic regression model; together explaining 21% of variance in depression scores. Attenuation of strength of multivariate associations suggests confounding between the independent risk factors and socio-demographic and economic measures. In conclusion, clinically significant depressive symptoms are common in mid and late trimester antenatal clinic attendees. Interventions for early recognition of depression should target women with a history of previous depressive episodes or low satisfaction with ability to access basic needs, conflict in partner relationships and relatively earlier booking for antenatal care. Findings support a recommendation that antenatal services consider integrating screening for depression in routine antenatal care.

Multivitamin supplementation in HIV-positive pregnant women: impact on depression and quality of life in a resource-poor setting.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to examine the effect of vitamin supplementation on health-related quality of life and the risk of elevated depressive symptoms comparable to major depressive disorder (MDD) in HIV-positive pregnant women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: From April 1995 to July 1997, 1078 HIV-positive pregnant women were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. We examined the effects of vitamin supplementation on quality of life and the risk of elevated depressive symptoms, assessed longitudinally every 6-12 months. RESULTS: A substantial prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms (42%) was observed in HIV-positive pregnant women. Multivitamin supplementation (B-complex, C and E) demonstrated a protective effect on depression [relative risk (RR)=0.78; P=0.005] and quality of life [RR=0.72 for social functioning (P=0.001) and vitality (P=0.0001); RR=0.70 for role-physical (P=0.002)]; however, vitamin A showed no effect on these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Multivitamin supplementation (B-complex, C and E) resulted in a reduction in risk of elevated depressive symptoms comparable to MDD and improvement in quality of life in HIV-positive pregnant women in Tanzania.

The family and substance abuse in the United Republic of Tanzania.

The family in the United Republic of Tanzania has traditionally been a paramount institution invested with important functions of socialization. It provided spiritual guidance, emotional and social support systems, security and education, and defined the moral and ethical system in which the community was intricately bound together. The institution is weakening under the impact of modernization at a pace that far exceeds the pace at which newer institutions are emerging to assume those responsibilities. Drug abuse is becoming an unwelcome guest under those circumstances. It is proposed that active measures should be taken at the community and national policy level to strengthen and employ the family for the purpose of promoting a drug-free lifestyle.

Risk behaviors and vulnerability to HIV infection among Tanzanian youth.

PIP: Focusing on increased vulnerability to HIV infection, this article examines some of the contexts within which these risk-taking behaviors occur and illustrates that the risk of contracting the disease is just one of the many risks with which Tanzanian youths are confronted. The sexual and substance use behaviors, and the relationship between such behaviors and economic factors, are discussed. Where evidences exist, attempts are made to compare the prevalence of these behaviors among male and female youths, as well as urban and rural youths. The extent to which males and females engage in risk-taking behaviors is unknown; however, studies show that, depending on age and gender, between 17% and 61% of youths are sexually active. Rates in HIV transmission vary by gender and by whether the youths are rural or urban inhabitants. Factors like adverse socioeconomic conditions, unemployment, lack of parental guidance and supervision, and culture all influence sexual risk-taking behaviors among youths. Meanwhile, increasing use of drugs and alcohol among the young population has been closely linked to increased vulnerability to unprotected sexual intercourse. Again, survival needs play a major role in sustaining risk behaviors. The paper concludes by outlining policy implications of youth risk behaviors, taking into account a multisectoral approach in dealing with the problem.^ieng

Validity of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 amongst HIV-positive pregnant women in Tanzania.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) for use as a depression screen amongst human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) positive pregnant women. METHOD: Amongst 903 (mean age 24.8 years) HIV-positive pregnant women, a two-phased design included measures for health-related quality of life, perceived social support, and the HSCL-25 screen for depressive (HSCL-15 subscale) and anxiety symptoms. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) was independently administered on a stratified random subsample. RESULTS: Internal consistency of the HSCL-25 (alpha 0.93) and HSCL-15 (alpha 0.9) was adequate, with expected findings demonstrated in discriminant validity analysis. A depression-anxiety construct explained nearly 40% of the variance. Eight individual HSCL-25 items demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) greater than 0.6 for DSM-IV major depression and the HSCL-25 and HSCL-revised had an optimal depression cut-off score of 1.06 and 1.03 for the HSCL-15. CONCLUSION: The HSCL-25 demonstrated utility as a screen for depression; its inability to gauge severity of symptoms in this cultural context is discussed.