Windhoek Central Hospital, Windhoek, Namibia.
Department of Statistics and Population Studies, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia.
Pan Afr Med J. 2022 Apr 1;41:270. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2022.41.270.27134. eCollection 2022.
physical health problems are common among people with mental illness. Understanding common co-occurring mental and physical conditions can aid health providers to effectively screen individuals and also integrate care for both conditions. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and types of comorbidity among patients attending the outpatient section of the Mental Health Care Centre, Windhoek Central Hospital.
a cross-sectional survey of 385 patients attending the Mental Health Care Centre of Windhoek Central Hospital was carried out using structured questionnaire.
the study found that 33.8% of participants had comorbid physical and mental conditions. The most common co-occurring physical conditions were from the cardiovascular system (40.8%), infections (30.8%), and neurological conditions (13.0%). Female patients were more likely to have comorbidity compared to their male counterparts (OR=2.8; CI = 1.5-5.0; p=0.001), and the risk of comorbidity increased with age (OR=1.1; CI = 1.0-1.1; p<0.001).
the study emphasizes the inseparability of mental and physical health, and the bidirectional association between mental and physical conditions. The high prevalence of somatic disorder points to the need of integration of physical and mental health services. Mental health and somatic services must be adjusted to the fact that most of the people who come to seek help are likely to suffer from more than one illness.
精神疾病患者中常见身体健康问题。了解常见的共病精神和身体状况可以帮助医疗保健提供者有效地对个体进行筛查，也可以整合两种疾病的治疗。本研究旨在确定在温得和克中央医院精神保健中心门诊就诊的患者中合并症的患病率和类型。
对温得和克中央医院精神保健中心的 385 名患者进行了横断面调查，使用结构化问卷进行。
研究发现，33.8%的参与者同时存在身体和精神疾病。最常见的共病躯体疾病来自心血管系统（40.8%）、感染（30.8%）和神经系统疾病（13.0%）。与男性相比，女性患者更有可能患有合并症（OR=2.8；CI=1.5-5.0；p=0.001），并且随着年龄的增长，合并症的风险增加（OR=1.1；CI=1.0-1.1；p<0.001）。
该研究强调了精神和身体健康的不可分割性，以及精神和身体状况之间的双向关联。躯体障碍的高患病率表明需要整合身心健康服务。精神健康和躯体服务必须适应这样一个事实，即大多数前来寻求帮助的人可能患有多种疾病。
