Psychiatric Morbidity among Adolescents Attending a Primary Health Care Centre in a High Population Density Urban Community

Introduction. Psychiatric disorders are on the increase and they are expected to increase further as time passes by. It is estimated that a quarter of patients visiting a health facility suffer from mental illness. Adolescents form a vital age group in the society and experience many changes; physiological, anatomical, psychological and social. Some of these changes in association with certain variables can predispose the adolescents to developing mental illness. Locally most studies on adolescent psychiatric morbidity have been done in learning institutions unlike in health facilities. This study was an attempt to fill that gap. Objectives. (a)To determine the prevalence and pattern of psychiatric morbidity among adolescents attending a primary health care facility in a socio-economically deprived, densely populated community in Nairobi-Kenya. (b)To identify significant socio­ demographic factors contributing towards psychiatric morbidity among these adolescents. Design. The design of the study was a cross sectional descriptive study. Setting. Kariobangi North Health Centre in Nairobi-Kenya. Method. Two hundred and fifty five adolescents aged 12-21 years (101 males and 154 females) were selected by consecutive sampling. A socio-demographic questionnaire was administered and DSM-IV TR guided interview and criteria were then used to reach diagnosis. Results: The adolescents were aged 12-21 years with a mean age of 1 7 years, standard deviation of 3, a mode of 21 years and a median of 18 years. Majority were single (79.6%) while the rest were married, widowed or separated. Most had primary school level ol education (63.9%) while 32.5% had secondary school education but none had