Common mental illness are a public health problems, with detrimental physical health, psychosocial and economic consequences. In this finding the prevalence of common mental disorders was found to be to be 29.7% (95% CI: 26.4, 33.1).This finding was consistentwith reports from other studies. For example,32.4% in Kombolcha, Ethiopia (12),27% in South Africa(16),29.9% in Brazil(9),26.7% in Santiago, Chile(10), and 27.2% in Great Britain(17).Conversely, our 29.7% was higher than results of various countries, such as 22.7% in Jimma, Ethiopia (18), 11.7% in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (19), 17.2% in Butajera, Ethiopia (20) and 14.9% in Harari, Ethiopia(21), 10.3%,10.8% in Kenya (2, 22), 4.1% in Tanzania (23), 23.8% in Taiwan (17), 24.6% in southeast London(24), and 24.6%inScotland and Wales, England(25).
Conversely, this finding was lower than the 33.6% noted in Jimma town, Southwest Ethiopia(26), 33.9% in India (27), 52.5% in rural Bangladesh (28),and 34.4%in china (8). The possible reason for this difference might be the use of different instruments and cutoff points to measure common mental disorder. That is, the other study used revised clinical interview schedule (CIS-R),Kessler 10 item questionnaire, and general health questionnaire (GHQ-12),while we utilized SRQ-20. The other variation might be number of participants in the study. That is, in southern India 327, in rural Bangladesh 2425, southeast London 1968, China 3031participants were included.
Female sex was 2.4 times more likely to develop CMDs compared with male sex. Possibly because of women’s greater vulnerability to psychological distress due to difference hypotheses involving hormonal differences, the effects of childbirth, psychosocial stressors (high household responsibility), as a result of physically abuse and behavioral models of learned helplessness.In addition to this low socio-economic status of females might have predispose them to higher risk for common mental disorders. This finding was supported by studies conducted in India (24), Brazil(29), Chile(10), rural Bangladesh(28), South Africa(3), Kenya (2), Jimma(26), Butajera(20), and Kombolcha(12).
There was statically significant association between common mental disorders and current tobacco use (smoking). Smoking has its own influence on physical and psychological functioning. The effect of smoking can lead to addiction, stigma and behavioral influence and reduce the socio-economic status of individual. This finding was supported by a study conducted in Brazil(29), and Kombolcha town(12).
Common mental disorders were significantly associated with unemployment.The significant association between unemployment and CMDs in the present study was similarly reported in other community based studies conducted in other parts of Ethiopia, (18, 30) Chile(10) Taiwan,(17) Tanzania(23) and South Africa (16). In the present study, participants with poor social support more likely to have common mental disorders when compare with participants with strong social support. This finding was consistent with a study conducted in other parts of Ethiopia (30). The possible reason might be due to lack of experience in social relationship, social and psychological support from their neighborhood and relatives can lead to common mental disorders.
Participants who live in rural areawere 2 times high likely to have common mental disorderscompared with individuals who live in urban area. The finding is in line with other studies in china(31) and Nigeria(32). Common mental disorders were significantly higher among those who reported currently chewing khat as compared to those who didn’t chewing khat currently. This might be due to the effect of khat on physical and psychological function. The psychosocial effect of khat chewing depends on its capacity to lead to dependency or addiction and to the specific physical and behavioral effect including socio economic effect for individuals might be lead to common mental disorders. This finding is supported by other studies (21, 26, 33)
Family history of mental illness were significantly associated with common mental disorders.Parental history of mental illnessmight increase the risk of CMDs in the offspring through different reasons like transmission of genetic factors.This finding is similar with studies of other part of Ethiopia(18–20, 30).
Limitation of the study
The cross-sectional design of the study prevented us from concluding the casual relationships of the associations we found.
Social desirability and recall bias might also be the other limitations. Since the data collection method was a face-to-face interview which might lead individuals to respond in socially acceptable ways during the process, especially in cases of substance-related questions.