Common mental disorders among seasonal migrant farmworkers in Northwest Ethiopia
Open Access
- 2 February 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in BMC Psychiatry
- Vol. 21 (1), 1-8
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03068-7
Abstract
Background Seasonal migrant farmworkers in Ethiopia are a vulnerable segment of the population facing numerous threats to their mental health. This research aimed to determine the magnitude of common mental disorders (CMDs) and its associated factors among seasonal migrant farmworkers in the northwest of Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 950 seasonal migrant farmworkers were selected randomly. CMDs were assessed using the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20) and a structured questionnaire was employed to collect the associated characteristics of socio-demographic data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multivariable binary logistic regression. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence level was used to declare a statistically significant association with CMDs. Results The prevalence of CMDs was found to be 23.05% (219/950; 95% CI 20.47–25.84) among seasonal migrant farmworkers. The prevalence of psychological stress was 74.53% (708/950; 95% CI 71.65–77.20). Having a daily income below USD 5 (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.10–2.15), moderate perceived stress (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI: 1.18, 5.36), severe perceived stress (AOR = 16.15, 95% CI: 8.96, 29.11), and heat-related illness (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.11, 2.30) were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing CMD. On the other hand, those seasonal migrant farmworkers who migrated for the first time (AOR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.23–0.65) and those who received health related information (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.85) were less likely to have CMDs. Conclusion In this study, CMDs were found to be prevalent among seasonal migrant farmworkers. These findings highlight the importance of systematic development of community-based mental health services in combination with rural primary health care centers and an integrated approach to the health care of farmworkers such as screening, early identification, and treatment of CMDs of seasonal migrant farmworkers.This publication has 38 references indexed in Scilit:
- The global prevalence of common mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis 1980–2013International Journal of Epidemiology, 2014
- World Health Assembly adopts Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020The Lancet, 2013
- Prevalence of Common Mental Disorders in a Rural District of Kenya, and Socio-Demographic Risk FactorsInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2012
- Common mental health disorders — identification and pathways to care: NICE clinical guidelineBritish Journal of General Practice, 2012
- Mental health services in Ethiopia: Emerging public health issuePublic Health, 2011
- Poverty and common mental disorders in low and middle income countries: A systematic reviewSocial Science & Medicine (1982), 2010
- Adapting the SRQ for Ethiopian Populations: A Culturally-Sensitive Psychiatric Screening InstrumentTranscultural Psychiatry, 2008
- Delivery of Health Services to Migrant and Seasonal FarmworkersAnnual Review of Public Health, 2007
- The prevalence and socio‐demographic correlates of mental distress in Butajira, EthiopiaActa Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 1999