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Recognition of depression in children in general hospital-based paediatric units in Kenya: practice and policy

David M Ndetei1, Lincoln I Khasakhala, Victoria N Mutiso

  • 1Africa Mental Health Foundation (AMHF), Nairobi, Kenya. dmndetei@uonbi.ac.ke

Annals of General Psychiatry
|October 30, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Childhood depression is common in general medical settings but often missed. This study highlights the significant gap between high depression prevalence and low detection rates in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Physical disorders frequently co-occur with depression in children.
  • Depression in children is often overlooked in general medical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the prevalence of depression among children aged 11-17 in general medical facilities.
  • To evaluate the recognition of depression by clinicians in this pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 408 children aged 11-17 years.
  • Utilized sociodemographic questionnaires and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI).
  • Data collected from nine diverse medical facilities.

Main Results:

  • Clinicians diagnosed mental disorders in only 2.5% of children.
  • Over 41% of children exhibited scores indicative of mild to moderate depression (CDI).
  • Highest rates of depressive symptoms observed at Kenyatta National and Teaching Referral Hospital.

Conclusions:

  • There is a high prevalence of depression among children, yet detection rates are low.
  • Findings underscore critical clinical practice and policy implications for pediatric mental health.
  • Urgent need for improved screening and management of childhood depression in primary care.
Abstract

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