Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms among prisoners in Kaliti Federal Prison in Ethiopia: a facility based cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThis study intended to examine the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms among inmates in Kaliti Prison Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 694 randomly selected inmates in Kaliti Federal Prison in Ethiopia. The depressive symptom was examined using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify correlates of depressive symptoms. A p value <0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance, and an adjusted OR (AOR) with the corresponding 95% CI was computed to determine the strength of association. Data were analysed using SPSS V.20.ResultThe prevalence of depressive symptoms among prisoners in the current study was 56.6% (95% CI 53.2 to 60.8). Poor social support (AOR: 3.33, 95% CI 2.03 to 5.458), personal history of mental illness (AOR=3.16, 95% CI 1.62 to 6.14), physical abuse (AOR=2.31, 95% CI 1.41 to 3.78) and comorbid chronic medical illness (AOR=3.47, 95% CI 2.09 to 5.74) were independent correlates of depressive symptoms.ConclusionOur study shows that around one in two prisoners screened positive for depressive symptoms. There should be a regular screening of depressive symptoms for prisoners, and those screened positive should be linked to proper psychiatric service for early diagnosis and treatment.

Automated summary

This study aims to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms among inmates in Kaliti Prison Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 694 randomly selected inmates, using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depressive symptoms. The results showed that 56.6% of the inmates had depressive symptoms, and poor social support, personal history of mental illness, physical abuse, and comorbid chronic medical illness were identified as independent correlates of depressive symptoms. Regular screening and proper psychiatric service are suggested for early diagnosis and treatment for inmates with depressive symptoms.