IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v9y2012i5p1748-1756d17585.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Psychotic Symptoms in Kenya – Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Relationship with Common Mental Disorders

Author

Listed:
  • Rachel Jenkins

    (Director, WHO Collaborating Centre (Mental Health), Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, PO 35, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK)

  • Frank Njenga

    (Consultant Psychiatrist, Upper Hill Medical Centre, Nairobi, Kenya)

  • Marx Okonji

    (Consultant Psychiatrist, The Nairobi Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya)

  • Pius Kigamwa

    (Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya)

  • Makheti Baraza

    (Ministry of Health, Survey Department, Nairobi, Kenya)

  • James Ayuyo

    (Mildmay International, Kisumu, Kenya)

  • Nicola Singleton

    (Director of Policy & Research, UK Drug Policy Commission, London, UK)

  • Sally McManus

    (Research Director, National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), London, UK)

  • David Kiima

    (Director of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Kenya)

Abstract

There have been few epidemiological surveys to establish prevalence and associated risk factors of psychosis in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper reports a population- based epidemiological survey in rural Kenya of the prevalence of psychotic symptoms and their relationship with demographic, socio-economic and other risk factors. A random sample of 2% of all adults living in Maseno, Kisumu District of Nyanza province, Kenya (50,000 population) were studied, aiming for a sample size of 1,000 people. The psychosis screening questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence of psychotic symptoms in the preceding twelve months. The response rate was 87.6%. The prevalence of single psychotic symptoms in rural Kenya was 8% of the adult population, but only 0.6% had two symptoms and none had three or more psychotic symptoms in this sample size. Psychotic symptoms were evenly distributed across this relatively poor rural population and were significantly associated with presence of common mental disorders, and to a lesser extent with poor physical health and housing type. We conclude that single psychotic symptoms are relatively common in rural Kenya and rates are elevated in those with CMD, poor physical health and poor housing.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel Jenkins & Frank Njenga & Marx Okonji & Pius Kigamwa & Makheti Baraza & James Ayuyo & Nicola Singleton & Sally McManus & David Kiima, 2012. "Psychotic Symptoms in Kenya – Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Relationship with Common Mental Disorders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-9, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:9:y:2012:i:5:p:1748-1756:d:17585
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/9/5/1748/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/9/5/1748/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tafari, Solomon & Aboud, Frances E. & Larson, Charles P., 1991. "Determinants of mental illness in a rural Ethiopian adult population," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 197-201, January.
    2. Joseph Mbatia & Rachel Jenkins & Nicola Singleton & Bethany White, 2009. "Prevalence of Alcohol Consumption and Hazardous Drinking, Tobacco and Drug Use in Urban Tanzania, and Their Associated Risk Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 6(7), pages 1-16, July.
    3. Rachel Jenkins & Joseph Mbatia & Nicola Singleton & Bethany White, 2010. "Prevalence of Psychotic Symptoms and Their Risk Factors in Urban Tanzania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-12, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rachel Jenkins & Joseph Mbatia & Nicola Singleton & Bethany White, 2010. "Prevalence of Psychotic Symptoms and Their Risk Factors in Urban Tanzania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-12, June.
    2. Rachel Jenkins & Caleb Othieno & Linnet Ongeri & Bernards Ogutu & Peter Sifuna & James Kingora & David Kiima & Michael Ongecha & Raymond Omollo, 2015. "Adult Psychotic Symptoms, Their Associated Risk Factors and Changes in Prevalence in Men and Women Over a Decade in a Poor Rural District of Kenya," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Rachel Jenkins & Frank Njenga & Marx Okonji & Pius Kigamwa & Makheti Baraza & James Ayuyo & Nicola Singleton & Sally McManus & David Kiima, 2012. "Prevalence of Common Mental Disorders in a Rural District of Kenya, and Socio-Demographic Risk Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-10, May.
    4. Rachel Jenkins & Joseph Mbatia & Nicola Singleton & Bethany White, 2010. "Common Mental Disorders and Risk Factors in Urban Tanzania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-16, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:9:y:2012:i:5:p:1748-1756:d:17585. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.