The prevalence of depression in two districts of Uganda

Abstract

Little information is available on the prevalence of depression in Uganda. Given the recent political history of Uganda, depression may be common. The aim was to estimate the point prevalence of probable clinical depressive disorder among the general population in two contrasting districts of Uganda. Translated versions (in Madi and Lusoga) of the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to a systematic sample of adult residents in the Adjumani and Bugiri districts of Uganda. The overall prevalence of probably clinically significant depression (BDI score of 20–39) was 17.4%. Significantly higher rates were found in women and in Adjumani District. Depression is common in Uganda and particularly in the more troubled and less socially cohesive district of Adjumani.