Prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in cardio vascular accident Patients attending neurology clinic at Kenyatta National Hospital: Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Cerebro vascular accidents or strokes are a major cause of morbidity in the both developing and developed countries. The burden of psychiatric morbidity in stroke patients is not well documented in developing countries such as Kenya. This study will determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity amongst stroke patients. The study design adopted was a cross sectional study. The setting of the study was the out patient neurological clinic at the Kenyatta National Hospital Teaching and Referral hospital , Nairobi. A total number of 210 cases of stroke patients were taken up in the study. The sampling technique used was systematic random sampling. The stoke patients were identified at the neurological clinic using the outpatient files and the investigator liaised with the clinic staff to recruit all patients who meet the inclusion criteria for the study. Data was collected using researcher administered Mini plus 6.0 assessment tool and a socio demographic questionnaire. The data was then analyzed using SPSS (Statistical package for social sciences) version 22,chi square, multiple regression and ANOVA and then presented using graphs, bar charts and tables. Overall prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was 32.85 % among 210 patients who constituted the study population. Specific diagnoses recorded were depression (19%), generalized anxiety disorder (9.5 %), alcohol dependence (2.3%) and bulimia nervosa (1.9 %). Sociodemographic variables were not significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity.