Anxiety disorders among youth with substance use and associated factors in Northwest Ethiopia: A community-based study.

INTRODUCTION: Anxiety disorder is an unpleasant emotional feeling with symptoms related to psychological and autonomic symptoms such as headache, perspiration, palpitations, dizziness, and stomach discomfort. The use of substances become a worldwide problem among youth which brings situation that leads to serious social and health-related problems. Anxiety disorders with substance use have a huge impact on their high prevalence, therapeutic issues, and poor prognosis on clinical effects. Although the prevalence of anxiety disorders is significant among young people who use substances, limited studies were conducted. Therefore, this study revealed the burden of anxiety disorders among youth with substance use and associated factors in Ethiopia. METHOD: A community-based multi-stage with a simple random sampling technique was conducted. A total of 372 substance users study participants were recruited for this study. Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Tests, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and other tools were used to assess anxiety disorders with substance use and associated factors. Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.6, and exported to SPSS version 20 for further analysis. Bi-variables logistic regression analysis was employed to identify variables with a p-value of < 0.2 and associated factors were determined in multi-variables logistic regression analysis with a p-value < 0.05 with AOR and CI. RESULTS: From a total of 372 respondents the overall prevalence of anxiety disorders with substance use was 48.1%. Male sex [AOR = 1.99; 95% CI: (1.01-3.93)], low educational status of the father [AOR = 6.38 95%CI: (1.50-7.08)], and the presence of stress [AOR = 2.48; 95% CI: 2.48(2.43-4.40)] were significantly associated factors with anxiety disorders with substances use. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The prevalence of anxiety disorders with substance use was 48.1% therefore; it is recommended that the zonal administration give collaborative work with the health bureau and facilitate awareness creation about the impact of substance abuse. Clinicians are recommended to mitigate anxiety disorders with substance use to get a good prognosis for clients with controlling their stress.

Exposure to stress-full life events and help-seeking behaviors among reproductive-age women in Northwest Ethiopia: Community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Stressful life events are a significant public health issue worldwide. Despite its mental, psychological, and social problems, important questions about the prevalence and risk factors remained unanswered. Therefore, this study aimed to show major life events and help-seeking behaviors among women in the reproductive-age group. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted using a multistage cluster sampling technique to get a total of 845 study participants from March 20 to April 29, 2021. Exposure to stressful life events and help-seeking behavior was collected using Women's Exposure to the Stressful Life Events Test, and General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHQ) respectively. Data were cleaned, coded, and entered into EPI-Info version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: The prevalence of stressful life events and help-seeking behaviors was 47.9 % and 38.7 % respectively. Reproductive-age women with poor social support (AOR = 2.392, 95 % CI: 1.422, 4.026), moderate social support (AOR = 1.861, 95 % CI: 1.341, 2.583), husband alcohol users (AOR = 1.496, 95 % CI: 1.027, 2.178), husband chat users (AOR = 2.962, 95 % CI: 1.140, 7.696), and having ever suicidal attempt (AOR = 8.702, CI: 1.719, 44.049), were positively associated with stressful life events. CONCLUSION: Nearly half of reproductive-age women had stressful life events. Thus, it is important to give serious attention to addressing those identified factors to increase public awareness, especially among husbands, their families, and elected authorities.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and its associated factors among war-affected residents in Woldia town, North East Ethiopia, 2022; community based cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Post-traumatic stress disorder is marked by increased stress and anxiety following exposure to a traumatic or stressful event. Events of conflict and war-related traumas were commonly reported situations and people who have undergone through have a higher tendency to develop PTSD Woldia town had been under a serious military surge and a five-month encroachment, so the expected destruction in property, impact on physical, social and mental health of civilians was potentially high. More importantly, there is no study that investigated the significance of association between war-related traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder in the area. so this study aims to assess prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and its associated factors among war-affected residents in Woldia town, North East Ethiopia, 2022. METHOD: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed by using a multi-stage systematic random sampling technique from May-15 to June-15/2022. A total of 609 participants were enrolled. PTSD was measured by the post-traumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Data were entered by Epi data version 4.6.0.2 and analyzed using STATA version 14. Bivariable and Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify associated factors to PTSD and P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of PTSD was 56.28%. Destruction/looting of property (AOR = 1.6,95%CI,1.11-2.47), murder/injury of family member (AOR = 2.1,95% CI,1.37-3.22), witness of murder of family member/others (AOR = 1.6,95% CI,1.01-2.71), unlawful imprisonment (AOR = 1.7, 95%CI, 1.06-2.74), depression (AOR = 2, 95%CI, 1.37-2.93), anxiety (AOR = 3.3, 95%CI,2.26-4.97), experience trauma on themselves (AOR = 2.0,95%CI,1.22-3.58), poor (AOR = 3.1,95%CI,1.60-6.04) and moderate (AOR = 3.0, 95%CI, 1.56-5.87) social support were statistically associated with PTSD at a p-value < 0.05. CONCLUSION: The study reveals that the prevalence of PTSD was high in Woldia town following an armed conflict between Federal Government and Tigray forces. Destruction/looting of property, murder/injury of family, witness murder of family/others, unlawful imprisonment, depression, anxiety, experience on themselves, poor and moderate social support were statistically associated with PTSD. Hence, encourage organization working on mental health, routine patient assessment with a history of trauma, facilitating means to support affected residents is recommended.

Determinants of Malnutrition and its associated factors among pregnant and lactating women under armed conflict areas in North Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: a community-based study.

INTRODUCTION: Maternal malnutrition remains a major public health problem, particularly in low and middle-income countries and war-affected areas like Ethiopia. Malnourished pregnant and lactating women with low nutrient stores have babies with poor mental and physical development, increasing the risk of poor birth outcomes. Despite the fact that the majority of Ethiopian mothers are malnourished, there is little evidence in war-affected areas. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among pregnant and lactating mothers in the war affected area of North Gondar Zone, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 10 to May 25, 2022. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 1560 pregnant and lactating mothers. MUAC was to ascertain the outcome variable. Data was entered and analyzed by using EPI INFO version 3.5.3 and SPSS version 24, respectively. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the factors associated with acute malnutrition. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was used to show the strength of the association, while a P-value of 0.05 was used to declare the significance of the association. RESULTS: The prevalence of acute malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women was 34.3% at the 95% CI (31.9-36.8). The age of the mothers (AOR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.99), family size 6-8 (AOR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.82), and greater than or equal to 9 family sizes (AOR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.97), were significantly associated with acute malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, the prevalence of acute malnutrition among pregnant and lactating mothers is high in the study area. Mother's age and family size were factors associated with acute malnutrition in war-affected areas. As a result, mothers with large families will require special assistance to reduce the impact of malnutrition.

Substance use and associated factors among high school students in Northwest Ethiopia.

Introduction: substance abuse is the use of a drug that affects both the function and the structure of the brain by altering the activity neurotransmitters of particular pathways in the central nervous system that affect the mood, perception, and consciousness of the person. Methods: a cross-sectional study design was employed among 422 high school students. Study participants were selected by simple random sampling from all five high school students. A self-reported questionnaire was used that included alcohol, smoking, and substance involvement screening test, Oslo-3 social support, and other instruments. Data were checked, coded, and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6.2 then exported to the statistical package for social sciences version 20 for analysis. Bi-variable and multi-variable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with substance use. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were determined and predictors with a p-value of <0.05 were counted as significantly associated. Results: a total of 406 students have participated with an overall response rate of 96.2% (n=406). Of the participants 235 were female and 171 were male. The mean age was 17.51 with a standard deviation of ±1.42. The prevalence of substance use among study participants was 52.5%. Being male aOR: 1.77, 95% CI 1.11-2.77, family history of substance use aOR: 3.07, 95% CI 1.57-6.01, and having close friends´ pressure aOR: 5.77, 95% CI 2.39-13.89 were significantly associated with substances use among high school students. Conclusion: the prevalence of substance use among high school students was high. Being male, family history of substance use, and having peer pressures were strongly associated with substance use.

Psychotic symptoms and its associated factors relating to psychoactive substance use among the youth population in Northwest Ethiopia.

Background: Substance use is associated with high rates of psychiatric symptoms including psychotic symptoms. Despite the severity of the problem, there are intervention gaps in Ethiopia. To combat this, relevant evidence is required to raise the awareness of service providers. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychotic symptoms and its associated factors among the youth population who uses psychoactive substances in the Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the youth population in the Central Gondar zone, Northwest Ethiopia, from 01 January to 30 March 2021. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit the study participants. All data were collected using questionnaires assessing socio-demographic; family-related variables; Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Multidimensional Scale Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-24). The data were analyzed using the STATA 14 statistical program. Results: A total of 372 young people who used psychoactive substances (79.57%, 53.49%, 34.14%, and 16.13% were consuming alcohol, Khat, tobacco/cigarette products, and other substances such as shisha, inhalants, and drugs, respectively) were included in the study. The prevalence of psychotic symptoms was 24.2% with a 95% CI: 20.1, 28.8. Being married [AOR = 1.87 95% CI: 1.06, 3.48], recent loss of loved ones [AOR = 1.97 95% CI: 1.10, 3.18], low perceived social support [AOR = 1.61 95% CI: 1.11, 3.02], and severe psychological distress [AOR = 3.23 95% CI; 1.64, 6.54] were the factors associated with psychotic symptoms among young people with psychoactive substances use at a p-value of < 0.05. Conclusion: Psychotic symptoms related to psychoactive substances among the youth population in Northwest Ethiopia were high. Thus, it is better to give a special attention to the youth population with low social support and existing psychological distress concurrent with psychoactive substance use.

Common mental disorders and associated factors among high school students in Debre Markos Town, Northwest Ethiopia: an institutional-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Common mental disorders include anxiety, depression and somatic symptoms. These pose significant public health problems because of their serious effects on personal well-being, social and occupational functions. They also can affect the health and quality of life of people in adolescence, because this age group has been vulnerable to different factors. According to the American Psychiatry Association, more than 60% of adolescents fulfil the criteria for at least one common mental disorder. Despite the high burden of the disorders, there are limited studies in Ethiopia; therefore, this study provided the prevalence of common mental disorders among students in Ethiopia. METHODS: From 5 May to 30 May 2021, an institutional-based cross-sectional study was undertaken. Simple random sampling was used to select study participants from each class level across all high schools. A self-administered survey was used that included Self-Reporting Questionnaire 20, Oslo Social Support Scale-3 and other semistructured instruments for the screening of common mental disorders. Data were checked, coded and entered into Epi-Data V.4.6.0, then exported to SPSS V.20 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to identify factors associated with common mental disorders. Adjusted ORs with 95% CIs were calculated and variables with a p value of <0.05 were considered as significantly associated with common mental disorders. RESULTS: A total of 600 high school students were recruited with a response rate of 93.2%. The overall prevalence of common mental disorders among the participants was 181 (32.4%). Being female (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.93; 95% CI: 1.27 to 2.99), a family history of mental illness (AOR=2.23; 95% CI: 1.15 to 4.35), poor social support (AOR=3.14; 95% CI: 1.51 to 6.54), a history of non-physical sexual abuse (AOR=2.09; 95% CI: 1.21 to 3.62) and a history of physical sexual abuse (AOR=2.43; 95% CI: 1.29 to 4.59) were significantly associated with common mental disorders. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The prevalence of common mental disorders was 32.4% among students; therefore, it is recommended facilitating institutional-based intervention services in the school to decrease the contributing factors for the common mental disorders.

Quality of life and associated factors among the youth with substance use in Northwest Ethiopia: Using structural equation modeling.

BACKGROUND: Substance use leads to serious clinical conditions with the potential to cause major health and emotional impairments in individuals. Individuals with substance use typically report significantly poorer QoL than the general population and as low as those with other serious psychiatric disorders. It has a high impact on morbidity, mortality, and productivity, it also compromises the general safety and performance of the users, i.e., affects the quality of life. Therefore, this study aimed to assess quality of life and identify the potential predictors among youths who use substances. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study design was applied to assess quality of life and associated factors among substance use youths in the central Gondar zone from January 1 to March 30/ 2021. A total of 373 substance use youths were included in the study. The data were collected using face-to-face interview by structured questionnaires, and entered to Epi-data version 4.6 and exported to STATA version 16, and AMOS software for further statistical analysis. To identify factors associated with health-related quality of life, structural equation modeling was used, and it also used to estimate the relationships among exogenous, mediating, and endogenous variables. RESULTS: Substance used youths had a moderate overall health-related quality of life (mean score = 50.21 and 14.32 standard deviation, p-value < 0.,0001), and poor health-related quality of life in the environmental health domain (mean score of 45.76 with standard deviation of 17.60). Age (ß = 0.06, p<0.001), sex (ß = 0.30, p<0.001), psychotic symptoms (ß = -0.12, p<0.001), employment status (ß = 0.06, p = 0.008,), loss of family (ß = 0.35, p<0.001), and social support (ß = 0.27, p<0.001) were variables significantly associated with health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: According to the findings of this study, substance abuse during adolescence is associated with lower health-related quality of life and a higher report of psychopathological symptoms. Given this finding, mental health and health promotion professionals should learn about and emphasize the impact of substance use on youth quality of life.

Psychological distress and associated factors among healthcare professionals in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to assess psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress) and associated factors among healthcare professionals working at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. DESIGN: Institution-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: This study was conducted at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Study participants were healthcare professionals from University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. They were selected for the study using a stratified sampling technique. MEASUREMENT: Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale was used to assess the depression, anxiety and stress levels. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to present the findings. To determine the predictor variables for depression, anxiety and stress, a binary logistic regression model was fitted. Finally, variables with p value <0.05 in the final model were declared as significantly associated with psychological distress. RESULT: Almost half (49.5) of the participants have psychological distress. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers was 167 (42.7%), 201 (51.4%) and 242 (61.9%), respectively. In multivariable analysis, respondents found in the ages between 35 and 44; unmarried marital status; educational status with specialty, subspecialty and PhD holders; anaesthesia professionals; and healthcare professionals with known medical illness were significantly associated with depression. Unmarried marital status, anaesthesia professional, laboratory technologist and living with family were significantly associated with anxiety. Unmarried marital status; educational status with specialty, subspecialty and PhD holders; and anaesthesia professional were also statistically significant with stress. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among the Gondar University healthcare professionals was high. This could contribute to implementation of mitigation measures in a standardised and sustainable manner and emphasis should be given to this aspect of health even for future similar and unanticipated events.

Suicide ideation and/or attempt with substance use and associated factors among the youth in northwest Ethiopia, community-based.

BACKGROUND: Substance use is referring to the use of psychoactive substances like chat, cigarettes, alcohol, and others. The use of substances particularly (alcohol, chat, and cigarette) is a major mental health burden in developing countries including Ethiopia among youth. Suicide ideation and an attempt are thinking or trying to kill oneself that facilitates the act of a person intentionally causing his or her death. Suicide is one of the most serious mental health problems and has a great social impact in the world as it is currently the third leading cause of death for youth. Youth is defined as the period of life between childhood and maturity with an age interval of (15-25). METHOD: A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts with substance use among youth in northwest Ethiopia. Multi-stage sampling techniques of stratified with simple random sample ware used. In the first stage, substance users are selected then as the second stage among substance users the burden of suicide behavior is assessed. ASIST, DASS-21, and other tools were used to assess suicidal behavior with substance use and associated factors. Data were edited, purified, and entered into Epi-data version 4.6 before being exported to the statistical package for social sciences version 20 for analysis of bi-variables to see the associations' p-value < 0.2 and multi-variables to identify the associated variables with a p-value of < 0.05 AOR and CI also done. RESULTS: From a total of 372 substance user participants over all prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt among youth was 54(14.5%) with 95% CI of (11.0,18.0) and 37(9.9%) with 95% CI (7.0, 13.0) respectively. Being female [AOR =2.36;95% CI:(1.19, 4.68)], poor social support [AOR =3.03; 95% CI: (1.11, 8.25)], and anxiety [AOR = 3.82: 95% CI; (1.96, 7.46)]. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt among substance users was 14.5 and 9.9% respectively therefore, immediate interventional actions needed to be administered to decrease the burden of suicide by reducing substance use and other associated factors.

University students' help seeking intention for depression from health professionals; a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess University students' intention to seek help for depression from health professional and associated factors among University of Gondar students, Northwest, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 487 students. Multistage sampling technique was used to select study participants. Self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect the data. General help seeking questionnaire with major depressive disorder case vignette was used to assess students' intention to seek help for depression. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Simple and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to identify factors for intention to seek help for depression. Association was described by using adjusted unstandardized ß coefficient along with 95% confidence interval. Finally, P-values < 0.05 in adjusted analysis were taken as a cut off for significant association. RESULTS: The mean score of intention to seek help from health professionals was 3.84 (±0.76)with a range of (1 "very unlikely" to 5 "very likely"). About 67.8% of the study participants would seek help from health professionals if they would have depressive symptoms which was depicted in the case vignette. In the multiple linear regression analyses, student age (unstandardized ß = 0.07, 95% CI: (0.05, 0.10)), good attitude towards seeking professional help (ß = 0.03, 95% CI: (0.02, 0.04)) were factors positively associated with intention to seek help. CONCLUSION: The current study showed that more than three-fifth of the study participants reported they were likely or very likely to seek help for depression from health professionals. Increased age and favorable attitude were factors associated with intention to seek help for depression. Working on awareness creation and attitude change towards depression would be necessary to increase students' intention to seek help for depression from health professional.

Intimate partner violence among reproductive-age women in central Gondar zone, Northwest, Ethiopia: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Violence against women is the most widespread kind of human rights violation, and it has been linked to a wide range of consequences. The most prominent psychosocial and mental health concern that has serious effects for women's physical and mental well-being. This study assessed the prevalence and associated factors of women's violence by intimate partner among women in the reproductive age group (15-49). METHODS: Multistage community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among reproductive age group women in the central Gondar zone. We recruited 845 participants and interviewed by health extension workers using face-to-face interviews. We used a Women's Abuse Screening test to outcome variable; it has a total score ranges 0-16, a score > 1 indicates positive for the presence of intimate partner violence within a year. Variables were coded and entered to Epi data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 21 for analysis. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis was run for data analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with a 95% confidence level (CI) were declared significant. RESULT: Among a total of 845 participants 804 responded to the interviews with a response rate of 95%. The prevalence rate of intimate partner violence is 391(48.6%). From multivariate logistic regression analysis women being married [AOR:3.85; 95% CI (2.38, 6.22)], high school and above educational status [(AOR: 0.43; 95% CI (0.30, 0.61), women's having > 3children [(AOR: 1.82, 95% CI (1.0, 3.1)], having a household food insecurity[(AOR: 2.09, 95% CI (1.51, 2.91)], having life threatening events [(AOR: 2.09; 95% CI (1.51, 2.91)], moderate social support [(AOR: 0.60; 95% CI (0.41, 0.83)], depression [(AOR: 3.12; 95% CI (1.60, 6.07) were significantly associated with violence by intimate partner at 95% CI . CONCLUSION: Intimate partner violence is common among reproductive-age women. Married, women with several children, food insecurity, life-threatening events, and depression were all found to be significant predictors of violence. Measures should be taken to raise community awareness, particularly among intimate partners, their families, and government officials.

Alcohol use disorder and associated factors among University of Gondar undergraduate students: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder among health science students is a problem throughout the world. Alcohol is accountable for many diseases, injury-related health conditions, poor academic performance, and dropout; and it is the fifth leading risk factor for premature death in the world. Despite this, we know little about the magnitude of alcohol use disorder among health science students in Ethiopia. Assessing alcohol use disorder and associated factors among this population will be paramount for future interventions. OBJECTIVE: To assess alcohol use disorder and associated factors among University of Gondar undergraduate students. METHODS: The research team conducted an institution-based cross-sectional study from April 18 to June 15, 2019. First, the study screened all students in the health science campus for alcohol use. To further study alcohol use disorder, the research team selected 424 students from alcohol users using a simple random sampling method. The team collected data through self-administered questionnaires. The study used an alcohol use disorders identification test to assess alcohol use disorder. The study team conducted bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and used an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI) to determine the independently associated factors of alcohol use disorder. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of alcohol use disorder among the students was 61.8%. Chewing khat (AOR = 3.26, CI (1.30, 8.15)), male sex (AOR = 1.65, 95 CI (1.02, 2.67)), and having intimate friends who use alcohol (AOR = 1.603, CI (1.03, 2.50)) were significant factors associated with increased alcohol use disorder. Being a 2nd year student (AOR = 0.39, CI (0.17, 0.94)), 3rd year student (AOR = 0.30 CI (0.14, 0.66)), 4th year student (AOR = 0.39, CI (0.18, 0.85)) were significantly associated with decreased alcohol use disorder. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of alcohol use disorder was high among students. Interventions should be made available to students who use alcohol and khat to reduce use-related problems, and thereby improve their health, and functional and social well-being.

Prevalence and Correlates of Suicide Ideation and Attempt among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Services at Public Hospitals in Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Suicide ideation and attempt are common among pregnant women, risk factors for completed suicide, and associated adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. It is under-recognized and has not been investigated well in low-income countries like Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with suicide ideation and attempt among pregnant women attending antenatal care services at public hospitals in southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A group of 762 pregnant women who were attending the antenatal service at public hospitals in Hawassa, southern Ethiopia, selected by a systematic random sampling technique, took part in an interview. A Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to measure suicide ideation and attempt. Chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the associated factors. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used for reporting the result with a p-value<0.05 statistical significance level. RESULTS: The prevalence of suicide ideation and attempt among pregnant women was 11.8% and 2.7%, respectively. Unplanned pregnancy (AOR=2.01, 95% CI=1.04-3.88), poor social support (AOR=3.29, 95% CI=1.62-6.68), common mental disorders (AOR=2.77, 95% CI=1.50-5.09), and lifetime suicide ideation (AOR=4.63, 95% CI=2.63-8.16) were factors significantly associated with suicide ideation. Social support was the only correlated factor with suicide attempt among pregnant mothers. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of suicide ideation and attempt among pregnant women was found to be high. Intervention strategies towards suicidal ideation and attempt should consider improving social support and antenatal related common mental disorders with a primary focus on women with unplanned pregnancy and prior history of suicide ideation.

Assessment of alcohol use disorder and its associated factors among alcohol users of medical and surgical outpatients attending a specialized hospital in Gondar, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder increase the risk of physical harm, mental or social consequences for patients and others in the community. Studies on alcohol use disorder and associated factors among medical and surgical outpatients in Ethiopia are limited. Therefore, this study is meant to provide essential data on alcohol use disorder and associated factors among alcohol user medical and surgical outpatients to intervene in the future. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted by using the systematic random sampling technique. Alcohol use disorders were assessed using the World Health Organization's 10-item Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, a P-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant in the multivariate analysis and the strength of association was measured at a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: The prevalence of alcohol use disorder was 34.5% with a 95% CI (29.20, 39.80) among study participants. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, male sex (AOR = 3.33, 95%CI: 1.40, 7.93), history of mental illness (AOR = 2.68, 95%CI: 1.12, 6.38), drinking for relaxation (AOR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.02, 3.48) and history of lifetime tobacco use (AOR = 5.64, 95%CI: 1.95, 16.29) were factors significantly associated with alcohol use disorder. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of alcohol use disorders among medical and surgical outpatients was found to be high. Male sex, history of mental illness, alcohol use for relaxation and lifetime cigarette smoking need more attention during the assessment of patients in the medical and surgical outpatient departments.

Internalized Stigma and Associated Factors among Patients with Major Depressive Disorder at the Outpatient Department of Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Internalized stigma has been found to be widespread among patients with major depressive disorder. When internalized stigma exists in patients with depression at a high level, it worsens the treatment outcome and quality of life. So the aim of the study is to assess the magnitude of internalized stigma and associated factors among outpatients with major depressive disorder at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS AND MATERIALS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 415 respondents from May 6 to June 13, 2019. Internalized stigma was assessed by using the internalized stigma of mental illness scale. Data was entered to Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic analysis was done, and p values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant with 95% CI. RESULTS: The prevalence of high internalized stigma among patients with major depressive disorder was 33.5% (95% CI: 29.2, 38.3). Being single (AOR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.30, 4.95), having an illness greater than or equal to 2 years of duration (AOR = 3.21, 95% CI: 1.66, 6.19), history of suicidal attempt (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.35, 3.99), nonadherence to treatment (AOR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.62, 5.29), poor social support (AOR = 4.72, 95% CI: 2.09, 10.64), and poor quality of life (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI: 1.82, 5.49) were significantly associated with high internalized stigma at p value < 0.05. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of internalized stigma was high among patients with major depressive disorder. Reduction of internalized stigma through antistigma campaigns and supports given to patients at the earliest possible time is important to improve treatment outcome and quality of life and minimize suicidal behavior in patients with major depressive disorder.

Magnitude of premenstrual dysphoric disorder and its correlation with academic performance among female medical and health science students at University of Gondar, Ethiopia, 2019: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the magnitude of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and associated factors among female students of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia, 2019. DESIGN: Institution-based cross-sectional study design. SETTING: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: 386 participants were recruited for self-administered interview using the stratified followed by simple random sampling technique. MEASUREMENT: Data were collected by self-administered interview. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) was used to measure PMDD. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Oslo-3 social support are used to assess the factors. The data were checked, cleaned and entered into EpiData V.3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) V.21.0 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regressions were used. OR with 95% CI was employed to see the strength of associations between dependent and independent variables. Variables with a p value <0.05 in multivariable logistic regression were declared as significantly associated. RESULT: 386 participants were involved in the study, with a response rate of 84.6%. The overall magnitude of PMDD in this study was 34.7% (30.3 to 39.1). Severe menstrual pain (adjusted OR (AOR)=2.82, 95% CI: 1.83 to 4.23), perception of an impact on academic performance due to menstrual pain (AOR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.23 to 4.32), and high perceived stress (AOR=3.52, 95% CI: 2.58 to 5.60) were significantly associated with PMDD disorder among female medical and health sciences students. CONCLUSION: PMDD is high among female medical and health sciences students. Thus, it needs early screening and intervention especially for those who have severe menstrual pain, perceived to have an impact on academic performance and high perceived stress.

The Prevalence and Correlates of Social Anxiety Symptoms among People with Schizophrenia in Ethiopia: An Institution-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The comorbidity of social anxiety disorder is very common in schizophrenia patients and affects almost all age groups. This social anxiety disorder negatively impacts the quality of life, medication adherence, and treatment outcomes of people with schizophrenia. It is not well recognized in clinical settings. Therefore, assessing social anxiety symptoms and its associated factors was significant to early intervention and management of schizophrenia patients in Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Data collectors randomly recruited 423 schizophrenic patients by using the systematic sampling technique. A face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The standardized Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) was employed to assess individual social anxiety symptoms. We computed bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions to identify factors associated with social anxiety symptoms. Statistical significance was declared at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of social anxiety symptoms was 36.2% (95% CI: 31.50, 40.80). Male sex (AOR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.20, 3.44), age of onset of schizophrenia (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI:1.17, 3.12), positive symptoms (AOR = 0.75, 95% CI:0.67, 0.83), depression/anxiety symptoms (AOR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.41), number of hospitalizations (AOR = 2.80, 95% CI:1.32, 5.80), and suicidal ideation (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.74) were factors significantly associated with social anxiety symptoms at p < 0.05. p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of social anxiety symptoms among schizophrenia patients was found to be high. Timely treatment of positive and depression/anxiety symptoms and suicide risk assessments and interventions need to be done to manage the problems.

Attitude towards Antipsychotic Medications in Patients Diagnosed with Schizophrenia: A Cross-Sectional Study at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Poor attitude towards antipsychotic drugs is high, and it is a factor for non-adherence to treatment. This increases the risk of relapse, associated healthcare utilization, and costs. This study aimed to assess attitude towards antipsychotic medication among patients with schizophrenia. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this institution based cross-sectional study was to assess attitude towards antipsychotic medications and associated factors among patients with schizophrenia who attend the outpatient clinics at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, 2018. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 393 schizophrenic patients from Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital were recruited by a systematic random sampling technique. Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10) was used to assess attitude, experience, and belief about antipsychotics. Glasgow antipsychotic side effect scale modified version, positive and negative syndrome scale, and Birch wood's insight scale for psychosis were the instruments used to assess the associated factors. Simple and multiple linear regression analysis models were fitted, and the adjusted unstandardized beta (ß) coefficient at 95% confidence interval was used. RESULTS: The mean score of attitude towards antipsychotic medications was 6.51 with standard deviation (SD) of 2.22. In multiple linear regression, positive symptoms (ß= -0.07, 95% CI: (-0.09, -0.05)), negative symptoms (ß= -0.04, 95% CI: (-0.06,-0.02)), shorter (≤5 years) duration of illness (ß= -0.39, 95% CI: (-0.63, -0.15)), first generation antipsychotics (ß = -0.35, 95% CI: (-0.55,-0.14)), having sedation (ß= -0.28, 95% CI: (-0.52, -0.02)), and extra-pyramidal side effects (ß= -0.34, 95% CI: (-0.59,-0.09)) were factors negatively associated with attitude towards antipsychotic medication treatment. Insight to illness (ß= 0.24, 95% CI: (0.20, 0.27) was a factor positively associated with attitude towards antipsychotic medications. CONCLUSION: The result suggests that the mean score of participants' attitude towards antipsychotic medications was good. Prevention of side effects particularly due to first generation antipsychotics is necessary.