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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 8/2017

01-08-2017 | Original Paper

Proximity to healthcare clinic and depression risk in South Africa: geospatial evidence from a nationally representative longitudinal study

Authors: Andrew Tomita, Alain M. Vandormael, Diego Cuadros, Rob Slotow, Frank Tanser, Jonathan K. Burns

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 8/2017

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Abstract

Proximity to primary healthcare facilities may be a serious barrier to accessing mental health services in resource-limited settings. In this study, we examined whether the distance to the primary healthcare clinic (PHCC) was associated with risk of depression in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Depressive symptoms and household coordinates data were accessed from the nationally representative South African National Income Dynamics Study. Distances between households and their nearest PHCCs were calculated and mixed-effects logistic regression models fitted to the data. Participants residing <6 km from a PHCC (aOR = 0.608, 95% CI 0.42–0.87) or 6–14.9 km (aOR = 0. 612, 95% CI 0.44–0.86) had a lower depression risk compared to those residing ≥15 km from the nearest PHCC. Distance to the PHCC was independently associated with increased depression risk, even after controlling for key socioeconomic determinants. Minimizing the distance to PHCC through mobile health clinics and technology could improve mental health.
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Metadata
Title
Proximity to healthcare clinic and depression risk in South Africa: geospatial evidence from a nationally representative longitudinal study
Authors
Andrew Tomita
Alain M. Vandormael
Diego Cuadros
Rob Slotow
Frank Tanser
Jonathan K. Burns
Publication date
01-08-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 8/2017
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1369-x

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