Factors associated with the prevalence of psychiatric illnesses in patients seen at the Kamenge neuropsychiatric center

Background: The prevalence of mental illness is increasing worldwide. In low-income countries, health care systems are not able to meet mental health needs. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with psychiatric illness at the Kamenge neuropsychiatric center.Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at the neuropsychiatric center on patients aged 10 years or older who were seen in medical consultations.Results: The prevalence of psychiatric illness was 63.1% (57.44-68.59); the median age was 30 years (23-39); the sex ratio (M/F) was 1.5. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with psychiatric illness were male gender [adjusted OR= 2.33 (1.23-4.40)], illicit drug use [adjusted OR=7.85 (2.09-29.46)], family history of psychiatric illness [adjusted OR=5.83 (1.8-16, 65)], childhood maltreatment [adjusted OR=5.48 (1.8-16.65)], loss of a dear person [adjusted OR=4.01 (1.54-10.45)], family conflict [adjusted OR=2.67 (1.0-7.09)] as risk factors and urban area [adjusted OR=0.114 (0.05-0.23)] as a protective factor.Conclusions: This study identified factors associated with the prevalence of psychiatric illnesses. The results of this study are useful to guide prevention and promotion strategies in mental health. 