What are the effects on mental health of the present economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe? Of 10,000% (or so) inflation? Of 700,000 persons being forced from their homes and places of employment in 2005 during "Operation Murambatsvina" ("Drive out the Filth")? Of 18% HIV prevalence rate? Of millions of families separated from their primary bread winner who has fled to South Africa or elsewhere?
The University of Zimbabwe Department of Community Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, the City Health Department and the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, in cooperation with a local NGO, conducted a survey to determine the prevalence of common mental disorders in Harare in August 2006.
Common Mental Disorders (CMD) are non-psychotic distree states manifesting with anxiety and depressive symptoms. The World health Organization (WHO) estimates that CMD in sub-Saharan Africa range from 14 to 17 Percent in primary health care settings.
The prevalence of CMD in ZImbabwe was identified as 10.5% in 1987 and 26% in 1993. The report states that:
"The last [CMD] prevalence study was completed in a relatively stable socio-economic environment where teh health delivery system was moving towards achieving the goals of the Alma Ata declaration. Since the last survey in the 1990s, the socio-economic situation has changed significantly in ZImbabwe where the inflation rate of 1204% is the highest in the world. This change...has made the applicability of the data questionable. The majority of Zimbabweans have been living below the poverty line for years and experience severe food and medical shortages as well as many social and economic streass factors. Previous studies have found that comon mental disorders are assosciated with stressful life events."
A total of 1045 people were randomly selected for the study at 6 hospitals or clinics in Harare. Of the respondents, 38% met the study criteria for CMD.
The statistically significant risk factors found to be associated with CMD in the study population were:
- Being alone without family or friends;
- Being Ill
- Being unable to buy sufficient food and other basics;
- Having experienced violence more than twice;
- Family members having experienced violence;
- Having lost employment;
- Having belongings taken away by authorities.
N.B.: Participants who had their belongings taken away by authorities were 14 times more likely to experience CMD. "Having belongings taken away by authorities" was found to be the greatest risk factor for CMD.
One should bear in mind that the study was undertaken 10 months ago, a period during which socio-economic conditions have further deteriorated drastically. It is likely that the 38% figure is now an understatement of the actual level of CMD.
Thank you Robert Mugabe for this catastrophic mental health crisis.
