TY - JOUR KW - Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health KW - Parasitology KW - Infectious Diseases KW - General Medicine AU - Semrau M AU - Davey G AU - Bayisenge U AU - Deribe K AB - Abstract Background There is a growing body of evidence that mental distress and disorder are common among people with lower limb lymphoedema, although no research has been conducted on this subject in Rwanda. Methods This research was embedded within a mapping study to determine the national prevalence and geographical distribution of podoconiosis in Rwanda. Using a cluster sampling design, adult members of households within 80 randomly selected sectors in all 30 districts of Rwanda were first screened and 1143 patients were diagnosed with either podoconiosis (n=914) or lower limb lymphoedema of another cause (n=229). These 1143 participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 to establish the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Results Overall, 68.5% of participants reported depressive symptoms- 34.3% had mild depressive symptoms, 24.2% had moderate, 8.8% moderately severe and 1.2% severe depressive symptoms. The mean PHQ-9 score was 7.39 (SD=5.29) out of a possible 0 (no depression) to 27 (severe depression). Linear regression showed unemployment to be a consistently strong predictor of depressive symptoms; the other predictors were region (province), type of lymphoedema and, for those with podoconiosis, female gender, marital status and disease stage. Conclusions Levels of depressive symptoms were very high among people with lower limb lymphoedema in Rwanda, which should be addressed through holistic morbidity management and disability prevention services that integrate mental health, psychosocial and economic interventions alongside physical care. BT - Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene DO - 10.1093/trstmh/traa139 IS - 12 LA - eng N2 - Abstract Background There is a growing body of evidence that mental distress and disorder are common among people with lower limb lymphoedema, although no research has been conducted on this subject in Rwanda. Methods This research was embedded within a mapping study to determine the national prevalence and geographical distribution of podoconiosis in Rwanda. Using a cluster sampling design, adult members of households within 80 randomly selected sectors in all 30 districts of Rwanda were first screened and 1143 patients were diagnosed with either podoconiosis (n=914) or lower limb lymphoedema of another cause (n=229). These 1143 participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 to establish the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Results Overall, 68.5% of participants reported depressive symptoms- 34.3% had mild depressive symptoms, 24.2% had moderate, 8.8% moderately severe and 1.2% severe depressive symptoms. The mean PHQ-9 score was 7.39 (SD=5.29) out of a possible 0 (no depression) to 27 (severe depression). Linear regression showed unemployment to be a consistently strong predictor of depressive symptoms; the other predictors were region (province), type of lymphoedema and, for those with podoconiosis, female gender, marital status and disease stage. Conclusions Levels of depressive symptoms were very high among people with lower limb lymphoedema in Rwanda, which should be addressed through holistic morbidity management and disability prevention services that integrate mental health, psychosocial and economic interventions alongside physical care. PB - Oxford University Press (OUP) PY - 2020 SP - 974 EP - 982 T2 - Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene TI - High levels of depressive symptoms among people with lower limb lymphoedema in Rwanda: a cross-sectional study UR - https://watermark.silverchair.com/traa139.pdf?token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAAqswggKnBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggKYMIIClAIBADCCAo0GCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQM9MjCX3xcmeNoxy0YAgEQgIICXvciEik-uW79IPose2IdyXrhc6pdfEFknXoXmwMxXggGy8c VL - 114 SN - 0035-9203, 1878-3503 ER -