Back to Search Start Over

Depressive Symptoms Amongst People with Podoconiosis and Lower Limb Lymphoedema of Other Cause in Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors :
Maya Semrau
Gail Davey
Amuam Andrew Beng
Winston Patrick Chounna Ndongmo
Abdel Jelil Njouendou
Samuel Wanji
Kebede Deribe
Source :
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Vol 4, Iss 3, p 102 (2019)
Publication Year :
2019
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2019.

Abstract

Evidence is emerging that shows elevated mental distress and disorder amongst people with several neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). This study aimed to establish the prevalence of depressive symptoms amongst people with podoconiosis and lower limb lymphoedema of other cause in Cameroon. The study was part of a larger research piece that mapped the geographical distribution of podoconiosis in Cameroon. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; mean) was employed to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms amongst people with lower limb lymphoedema. Linear regression was used to assess the association between socio-demographic characteristics of participants and depressive symptoms. Internal consistency of the PHQ-9 was estimated through Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.651). The mean PHQ-9 score among people with lower limb lymphoedema was 3.48 (SD ± 3.25). Using a PHQ-9 score of 5 or above as the cut-off score, 32 participants (38.6%) displayed at least mild depressive symptoms. Unemployment was the only factor that was significantly associated with more depressive symptoms overall. This study shows that depressive symptoms are common amongst people with lower limb lymphoedema in Cameroon. The findings provide support for the integration of psychosocial interventions into packages of care for the management of lower limb lymphoedema.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
24146366
Volume :
4
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.0873f2136564872ba1220904a5d45ae
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed4030102