Abstract
The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence and demographic correlates of mental disorders and healthcare-seeking behavior of adolescents in Mozambique. Trained assessors administered sociodemographic questionnaires and the Portuguese Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-KID) to adolescents in two schools in Maputo City, Mozambique to determine mental disorder diagnoses. Associations between sociodemographic factors and mental disorders were assessed with logistic regressions. Among 488 Mozambican students (ages 12 to 19; 66.4% female), the prevalence of mental disorders was 23.0%. Anxiety (17.8%) and depressive disorders (8.6%) were most common. Half of adolescents who were diagnosed with a mental disorder had two or more diagnoses. Females were more likely than males to have a mental disorder (odds ratio (OR) 1.60, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.00–2.57), and the likelihood of mental disorder diagnosis increased with age (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.12–1.47) and grade (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.07–1.45). Only 2.7% of adolescents with a mental disorder had sought mental health care in the previous year. To our knowledge, this is the among the first studies to use a structured diagnostic interview (MINI-KID) to report the prevalence of mental disorders among Mozambican adolescents. High rates of untreated mental disorders underscore urgent need for increased mental health services. High comorbidity of mental disorders suggests that transdiagnostic interventions may be an effective approach to care. Primary healthcare settings where adolescents routinely receive care may be appropriate for mental health treatment integration.
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