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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 1/2011

01-01-2011 | Original Paper

Poverty, life events and the risk for depression in Uganda

Authors: Eugene Kinyanda, Patrick Woodburn, Joshua Tugumisirize, Johnson Kagugube, Sheila Ndyanabangi, Vikram Patel

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 1/2011

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Abstract

Background

Understanding the determinants of major depression in sub-Saharan Africa is important for planning effective intervention strategies.

Objective

To investigate the social and life-event determinants of major depressive disorder in the African sociocultural context of rural Uganda.

Methods

A cross-section survey was carried out in 14 districts in Uganda from 1 June 2003 to 30 October 2004. 4,660 randomly selected respondents (15 years and above) were interviewed. The primary outcome was the presence of ‘probable major depressive disorder’ (PMDD) as assessed by the Hopkins symptom checklist.

Results

The prevalence of PMDD was 29.3% (95% confidence interval, 28.0–30.6%). Factors independently associated with depression in both genders included: the ecological factor, district; age (increase with each age category after 35 years); indices of poverty and deprivation (no formal education, having no employment, broken family, and socioeconomic classes III–V). Only a few adverse life events, notably those suggestive of a disrupted family background (death of a father in females and death of a mother in males) were associated with increased risk.

Conclusion

Socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors, operating at both ecological and the individual level are the strongest independent determinants of depression. Adverse life events were less strongly associated with depression in this sample.
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Metadata
Title
Poverty, life events and the risk for depression in Uganda
Authors
Eugene Kinyanda
Patrick Woodburn
Joshua Tugumisirize
Johnson Kagugube
Sheila Ndyanabangi
Vikram Patel
Publication date
01-01-2011
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 1/2011
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0164-8

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