Mental Health in Primary Care: Co-Morbid Anxiety and Depression in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Mental health is a state of wellbeing in which individuals realize his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Mixed and anxiety and depression is a mental disorder that does not allow people to achieve mental health.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and socio-demographic features of respondents diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depression in an outpatient of a general clinic.

Methods: 245 respondents were randomly selected from an outpatient of a general clinic and screened for anxiety, depression and mixed anxiety and depression with the Hospital anxiety and depression scale.

Results: 17.5% (n=43) of the respondents had mixed anxiety and depression, 36.7% (n=90) had anxiety and 24.5% (n=60) had depression. Mixed anxiety and depression was commoner among age group 30-39 years n=10 (23.3%), married respondents n=24 (55.8%), civil servants n=19 (44.2%), post secondary education level respondents n=18 (41.9%), and those that earned less than 10000 naira per month n=18 (41.9%).

Conclusion: Mixed anxiety and depression is common in our environment. It is needful to screen patients attending the primary care facility for this condition for early diagnosis to prevent the psychological, social and physical impairment that could affect the individual and extend to the family.