Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146:659-661
Copyright © 1989 by American Psychiatric Association
Prevalence and presentation of depressive illness in a primary health care setting in Kenya
M Dhadphale, G Cooper and L Cartwright-Taylor
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Using a two-stage screening procedure, ICD-9 diagnostic criteria, and the
Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the authors diagnosed depressive
disorders in 81 (9.2%) of 881 patients in a primary care setting in Kenya.
All depressed patients had somatic symptoms, and all of the 27 depressed
patients assessed with the Hamilton scale scored higher than 2 on the work
and activities item. These findings contradict the earlier reports that
Africans do not admit to being depressed. Nearly one-third of the depressed
patients were moderately or severely ill and would have benefited from
psychiatric assessment and treatment.
