Background: On the African continent, many people live in conditions of adversity known to be associated with the onset of mental disorders, yet not all develop a mental disorder. The prevalence of common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety in the general population of Nigeria is comparatively low. Prevalence data of mental disorders in slum settings in Nigeria is sparse. There is a need to better understand the relationship between protective factors and the occurrence of common mental disorders in the Nigerian slum context. This study aimed to describe the relationship between protective factors and the occurrence of common mental disorders among female urban slum dwellers in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Methods and findings: A cross sectional household survey of 550 women was conducted in slum settlements in Ibadan, Nigeria. Interviewer administered questionnaires were completed to elicit information on protective factors (social connectedness, self-esteem, social support, resilience) and common mental disorders (depression, anxiety and stress). The DASS-21 was used to measure common mental disorders and protective factors were measured using the Social Connectedness Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Resilience scale and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. A multivariable logistic regression model was employed to examine associations while adjusting for relevant confounders. Common mental disorders were reported by 14.0% of the respondents. Resilience and social support were found to be protective against reporting symptoms of common mental disorders. Women who reported higher levels of social support and resilience were less likely to report common mental disorders (OR:0.96, 95% CI 0.93, 0.98) and (OR:0.95, 95% CI 0.91, 0.99) respectively. Women who were 65 years and older were also less likely to report the occurrence of common mental disorders (OR:0.38, 95% CI 0.15, 0.98) compared to those aged 18-34 years.
Conclusion: Social support and resilience appear to be protective against common mental disorders among these respondents. Further research should be conducted to explore the pathways through which protective factors reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of common mental disorders. This would be important in the development of mental health interventions.