Prevalence and Correlates of Psychiatric Morbidities among Undergraduates in Health-Related Disciplines in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction

Psychiatric morbidity among university students especially health-related disciplines is vital because of its negative impact on their capacity to study.

The study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with psychiatric morbidity among students of College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo.

Methodology       

Two hundred and seventy-seven students of the College of Health Sciences Osogbo were consecutively recruited into the study. Each student filled the socio-demographic questionnaire. Respondents were screened with the General Health Questionnaire while the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to make a psychiatric diagnosis. 

Result

The mean age of the respondents was 26.3 years.  Most (73.3%) of the respondents were 25 years and above, single (88.1%), Christians (79.4%) and from the Yoruba ethnic group (91.3%). Female respondents were 58.1% of the sample

The majority (77.6%) of the respondents were not satisfied with their monthly allowance. The main sources of finance were the parents (78.0%) while 11.6% were self-sponsored. The prevalence of psychiatric morbidities among the respondents was 25.3% while sixty (21.7%) had at least one psychiatric diagnosis.  The risk of non-satisfaction with monthly allowance was 4.7-fold increase compared with satisfaction with monthly allowance (B= 1.504 P=0.002) and the risk of sponsoring oneself is 10.9-fold increases compared to those that were sponsored by their spouse in predicting psychiatric morbidity (B= 2.319s, P=0.032).

Conclusion

The research findings suggest a routine mental health assessment in the citadels of learning, in particular, the tertiary level/medical and paramedical professions.