Network analysis of mental health problems among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based study during the COVID-19 pandemic
Objective COVID-19 has negatively impacted mental health of adults globally with increased rates of psychiatric comorbidities. However, network analysis studies to examine comorbidities and correlations between symptoms of different mental disorders are uncommon in low-income countries. This study a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/1/e075262.full |
| _version_ | 1797295752509128704 |
|---|---|
| author | Alemayehu Worku Yemane Berhane Nega Assefa Firehiwot Workneh |
| author_facet | Alemayehu Worku Yemane Berhane Nega Assefa Firehiwot Workneh |
| author_sort | Alemayehu Worku |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective COVID-19 has negatively impacted mental health of adults globally with increased rates of psychiatric comorbidities. However, network analysis studies to examine comorbidities and correlations between symptoms of different mental disorders are uncommon in low-income countries. This study aimed to investigate the network structure of depression, anxiety and perceived stress among adults in Addis Ababa and identify the most central and bridge symptoms within the depressive-anxiety-perceived symptoms network model.Design Community-based cross-sectional study.Setting This study was carried out on a sample of the general population in Addis Ababa during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1127 participants were included in this study, of which 747 (66.3%) were females, and the mean age was 36 years.Primary and secondary outcome measures Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale, respectively.Network analysis was conducted to investigate the network structure. The centrality index expected influence (EI) and bridge EI (1-step) were applied to determine the central and bridge symptoms. Case-dropping procedure was used to examine the network stability.Result The sad mood (EI=1.52) was the most central and bridge symptom in the depression, anxiety and perceived stress network model. Irritability (bridge EI=1.12) and nervousness and stressed (bridge EI=1.33) also served as bridge symptoms. The strongest edge in the network was between nervousness and uncontrollable worry (weight=0.36) in the anxiety community. The network had good stability and accuracy. The network structure was invariant by gender and age based on the network structure invariance test.Conclusions In this study, the sad mood was the core and bridge symptom. This and the other central and bridge symptoms identified in the study should be targeted to prevent mental health disorders and comorbidities among adults. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T21:52:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9626251101344f14bc0e347b471bf0ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T21:52:30Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-9626251101344f14bc0e347b471bf0ee2024-02-25T06:50:07ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552024-01-0114110.1136/bmjopen-2023-075262Network analysis of mental health problems among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based study during the COVID-19 pandemicAlemayehu Worku0Yemane Berhane1Nega Assefa2Firehiwot Workneh3Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaCollege of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, EthiopiaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaObjective COVID-19 has negatively impacted mental health of adults globally with increased rates of psychiatric comorbidities. However, network analysis studies to examine comorbidities and correlations between symptoms of different mental disorders are uncommon in low-income countries. This study aimed to investigate the network structure of depression, anxiety and perceived stress among adults in Addis Ababa and identify the most central and bridge symptoms within the depressive-anxiety-perceived symptoms network model.Design Community-based cross-sectional study.Setting This study was carried out on a sample of the general population in Addis Ababa during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1127 participants were included in this study, of which 747 (66.3%) were females, and the mean age was 36 years.Primary and secondary outcome measures Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale, respectively.Network analysis was conducted to investigate the network structure. The centrality index expected influence (EI) and bridge EI (1-step) were applied to determine the central and bridge symptoms. Case-dropping procedure was used to examine the network stability.Result The sad mood (EI=1.52) was the most central and bridge symptom in the depression, anxiety and perceived stress network model. Irritability (bridge EI=1.12) and nervousness and stressed (bridge EI=1.33) also served as bridge symptoms. The strongest edge in the network was between nervousness and uncontrollable worry (weight=0.36) in the anxiety community. The network had good stability and accuracy. The network structure was invariant by gender and age based on the network structure invariance test.Conclusions In this study, the sad mood was the core and bridge symptom. This and the other central and bridge symptoms identified in the study should be targeted to prevent mental health disorders and comorbidities among adults.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/1/e075262.full |
| spellingShingle | Alemayehu Worku Yemane Berhane Nega Assefa Firehiwot Workneh Network analysis of mental health problems among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based study during the COVID-19 pandemic BMJ Open |
| title | Network analysis of mental health problems among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based study during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Network analysis of mental health problems among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based study during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Network analysis of mental health problems among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based study during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Network analysis of mental health problems among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based study during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Network analysis of mental health problems among adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based study during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | network analysis of mental health problems among adults in addis ababa ethiopia a community based study during the covid 19 pandemic |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/1/e075262.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alemayehuworku networkanalysisofmentalhealthproblemsamongadultsinaddisababaethiopiaacommunitybasedstudyduringthecovid19pandemic AT yemaneberhane networkanalysisofmentalhealthproblemsamongadultsinaddisababaethiopiaacommunitybasedstudyduringthecovid19pandemic AT negaassefa networkanalysisofmentalhealthproblemsamongadultsinaddisababaethiopiaacommunitybasedstudyduringthecovid19pandemic AT firehiwotworkneh networkanalysisofmentalhealthproblemsamongadultsinaddisababaethiopiaacommunitybasedstudyduringthecovid19pandemic |