Background: The occurrence of depression in patients with schizophrenia (PWS) increases the risk of relapse, frequency and duration of hospitalisation, and decreases social and occupational functioning.
Objective: This study aimed to assess prevalence of unrecognised comorbid depression and its determinants in PWS.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 to 30 March 2019 at Amanuel mental specialized hospital among 300 PWS. The 9-item Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia was used to assess comorbid depression. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between outcome and explanatory variables. Statistical significance was declared at p value <0.05 with 95% CI.
Results: The prevalence of unrecognised comorbid depression was found to be 30.3%. Living alone (adjusted OR (AOR)=3.49, 95% CI=0.45 to 8.36), having poor (AOR=4.43, 95% CI=1.45 to 13.58) and moderate (AOR=4.45, 95% CI=1.30 to 15.22) social support, non-adherence to medication (AOR=3.82, 95% CI=1.70 to 8.55), presenting with current negative symptoms such as asocialia (AOR=4.33, 95% CI=1.98 to 9.45) and loss of personal motivation (AOR=3.46, 95% CI=1.53 to 7.84), and having suicidal behaviour (AOR=6.83, 95% CI=3.24 to 14.41) were the significant predictors of comorbid depression in PWS.
Conclusion: This study revealed considerably a high prevalence of unrecognised comorbid depression among PWS. Therefore, clinicians consider timely screening and treating of comorbid depression in PWS.
Keywords: adult psychiatry; delirium & cognitive disorders; eating disorders; epilepsy; substance misuse; suicide & self-harm.
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