Major mental disorders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I. Schizophrenia, schizoaffective and cognitive disorders

We report here on a survey conducted in Addis Ababa between September and December of 1994 to estimate the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and severe cognitive disorders. An Amharic version of the CIDI was used to collect data from a random community sample of 1420 individuals aged 15 and above. Weighted lifetime and one-month prevalence were 0.4% and 0.3%, for schizophrenia, and 0.5% and 0.4% for schizoaffective disorders, respectively. The prevalence of severe cognitive disorders was found to be 2.6%. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the risk of lifetime psychosis (schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar disorders, and depressive episodes with psychotic symptoms) was significantly higher in the age group 25-44 years compared to the reference age group of 15-24 years: adjusted Odds Ratio and 95% confidence interval, OR (95%CI) = 2.41(1.01, 5.74); it was also significantly higher in the never married group compared to those married: OR (95%CI) = 3.01(1.08, 8.42). The risk was significantly lower in the employed compared to the unemployed: OR (95%CI) = 0.42 (0.18, 1.00). There was a statistically significant trend of increasing risk of severe cognitive disorders with increasing age. The trend was in the reverse direction for educational status, the risk decreasing significantly with increasing educational attainment.