Prevalence of common mental and neurological disorders by sex, age-group, and region, Uganda, 2016
Prevalence of all CMNDs in 2016 was 160/10,000 persons. Epilepsy was the most prevalent disorder at 76/10,000. The prevalence of CMNDs was similar across both sexes with males at 150/10,000 and females 160/10,000. People aged 5–59 years accounted for 860/10,000 of CMNDs. Central region bore the greatest burden of CMNDs at 217/10,000 and eastern region was the least affected at 90/10,000 (Table 2).
Table 2
Prevalence of common mental and neurological disorders, by gender, age-group, region, and case type, Uganda, 2016
Variable | Cases (OPD) | Cases (IPD) | Total cases | Population total | Rate/10,000 |
Case type | | | | | |
Anxiety disorders | 32841 | 2823 | 35664 | 34,634,650 | 10 |
Bipolar disorders | 41151 | 42709 | 83860 | 34,634,650 | 24 |
Childhood disorders | 5701 | 1920 | 7621 | 34,634,650 | 2.2 |
Depression | 37172 | 8852 | 46024 | 34,634,650 | 13 |
Epilepsy | 249226 | 12727 | 261953 | 34,634,650 | 76 |
Schizophrenia | 22241 | 14636 | 36877 | 34,634,650 | 11 |
Dementia | 8052 | 961 | 9013 | 34,634,650 | 2.6 |
HIV Psychosis | 18718 | 9507 | 28225 | 34,634,650 | 8.1 |
Others | 31865 | 21824 | 53689 | 34,634,650 | 16 |
Gender | | | | | |
Male | 193039 | 58868 | 251907 | 17,060,832 | 148 |
Female | 222063 | 57091 | 279154 | 17,573,818 | 159 |
Region | | | | | |
Central Region | 107981 | 98487 | 206468 | 9529227 | 217 |
Eastern Region | 75695 | 5981 | 81676 | 9042422 | 90 |
Northern Region | 94171 | 4077 | 98248 | 7188139 | 137 |
Western Region | 104414 | 7414 | 111828 | 8874862 | 126 |
Age 0–28 days | 554 | 0 | 554 | N/A* | 1.2 |
29days-4 years | 21850 | 0 | 21850 | N/A* | 49 |
5–59 years | 395981 | 0 | 395981 | N/A* | 860 |
60 years and above | 29013 | 0 | 29013 | N/A* | 65 |
*Population statistics not available in these categories |
We stratified the CMNDs by sex, and epilepsy constituted the highest burden of CMNDs across both sexes but was slightly higher among males at 78/10,000 compared to 74/10,000 among females (Fig. 4). Anxiety disorders were higher among females (14/10,000) at a rate twice that of males- 6.8/10,000 (Fig. 4). Depression was also markedly higher among females (17/10,000) compared to males (9.5/10,000) (Fig. 4). HIV related psychosis was slightly higher among females (9.6/10,000) compared to males ((6.7/10,000. Rates of bipolar, schizophrenia, dementia, childhood mental disorders, and other forms of mental illnesses were comparable across the sexes (Fig. 4).
Epilepsy accounted for the largest burden of CMNDs throughout the four regions (central-71/10,000, eastern-60/10,000, and western-75/10,000) of Uganda, with the northern (102/10,000) being the most affected.
Western Uganda reported the highest rate of anxiety disorders at 15 per 10,000 while eastern Uganda had the lowest rate at 7 per 10,000 (Table 3). Central Uganda had the highest rate of bipolar disorders at 62 per 10,000 which was more than twice the rates of any of the other regions (Table 3). Rates of childhood disorders, dementia were similar across regions (Table 3). Depression was highest in central Uganda at 18 per 10,000 and lowest in eastern Uganda at 8 per 10,000 (Table 3). Central Uganda reported the highest rates of schizophrenia at 26 per 10,000 which was more than the sum of rates of the other three regions combined (Table 3). It was lowest in eastern Uganda at 3 per 10,000. HIV psychosis was highest in central Uganda at 11 per 10,000 and lowest in northern Uganda at 4 per 10,000 (Table 3). Central Uganda reported the highest rate of other mental disorders at 33 per 10,000, more than twice that of any other region (Table 3).
Table 3
Regional prevalence per 10,000 of common mental neurological disorders, Uganda, 2016
Common mental neurological disorders | Central | Eastern | Northern | Western |
Anxiety disorders | 10 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 15 |
Bipolar disorders | 62 | 5.5 | 6.7 | 16 |
Childhood disorders | 3.7 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.4 |
Epilepsy | 71 | 60 | 102 | 75 |
Dementia | 3 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
Depression | 18 | 8.2 | 14 | 13 |
HIV related psychosis | 11 | 8.1 | 3.8 | 8.3 |
Schizophrenia | 26 | 3 | 4.5 | 7.2 |
Other mental disorders | 33 | 7.1 | 6 | 13 |
Trend Of Common Mental And Neurological Disorders, Uganda, 2012–2016
There was an upward trend in CMNDs over the study period evaluated. Epilepsy was the most prevalent disorder across all years, regions, and sexes.
Over the 5-year study period, there was a 9% (O.R = 1.1, 95%CI = 1.1–1.1, p = < 0.001) increase in CMNDs annually (Fig. 1). During 2012 to 2015, the prevalence was relatively low with slight increases annually for all regions. In 2016, there was a sharp increase in the prevalence for central region at 69/10,000 which was more than five times the rates of all the other regions combined (Fig. 2). The western region reported a slightly increased rate at 4.9/10,000 (Fig. 2). Both northern and eastern regions reported lower rates compared to the previous year at 3.7/10,000 and 3.6/10,000 respectively (Fig. 2).
Epilepsy was the most prevalent disorder for all the 5 years of the study period with prevalence above 600/100,000 for each year, however there was a decrease between 2015 (761/100,000) and 2016 (717/100,000). The prevalence of HIV related psychosis kept decreasing over the 5-year period and was lowest in 2016 at 77/100,000. Bipolar and schizophrenia experienced slight increases between 2012 and 2015; however, they sharply increased in prevalence between 2015 (111/100,000 and 710/100,000 respectively) and 2016 (229/100,000 and 117/100,000 respectively). The rates of anxiety, depression and dementia remained almost constant over the 5 years (Fig. 3).