Prevalence of mental disorders and its influencing factors among cured leprosy patients

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of mental disorders and its influencing factors among cured leprosy patients.MethodsGeneral condition questionnaire and Symptom Checklist-90(SCL-90)were used in the survey to evaluate the mental health status of 392 cured leprosy patients selected with cluster sampling from communities in three districts of Zhejiang province,China.ResultsThe prevalence of mental disorders was 24.49%(96/392)and the scores of somatization(1.56±0.51),depression(1.63±0.54),and phobic anxiety(1.33±0.40)were higher than those of the norms(1.37±0.48,1.50±0.59,and 1.23±0.41),whereas the scores of interpersonal sensitivity(1.47±0.62),anxiety(1.30±0.39),hostility (1.33±0.40),paranoid ideation (1.23±0.39),and psychoticism(1.24±0.34)were lower than those of the norms (1.65±0.51,1.39±0.43,1.48±0.56,1.43±0.57 and 1.29±0.42),all with marked statistical differences(P<0.05).Multiple variates logistic regression analyses showed that the influencing factors of mental disorders among the cured leprosy patients included age,health status,economical status,perceived social stigma,disability severity,and magnitude of care from relatives and friends.ConclusionCured leprosy patients have mental disorders and psychological rehabilitation is imperative in leprosy control activities.