Psychiatric Morbidity in a Leprosy Camp in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Leprosy is associated with a variety of psychopathological problems. Most of the previous studies have focused on leprosy patients in clinical settings while studies on isolated people with leprosy remain scanty.
Aims : To determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in a leprosy camp and its associated factors.
Methods: The instruments used consist of a questionnaire to elicit demographic and clinical variables and the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Data was th analyzed using the 15 version of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 15).
Results: A prevalence rate of probable psychiatric morbidity of 69.4% was obtained. There was a statistically significant association between psychological distress in patients with leprosy and older  age`(x² =28.12, p<0.001), female  gender (x² =12.43, p<0.001),  unemployment (x² =7.55, p=0.006), longer duration of illness and completion 24-month leprosy treatment regimen (p=0.003, OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.19-0.77).
Conclusion: There was high rate of psychiatric morbidity among isolated patients with leprosy. Lower rate have been reported among leprosy patients in clinical settings. Certain sociodemographic and clinical factors associated strongly with psychiatric morbidities in patients with leprosy.

Key words : Psychiatric morbidity, Leprosy camp, Northern Nigeria