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Mental Health Disorders Among Caregivers of Preschool Children in the Asenze Study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

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Abstract

Given the existing evidence linking parental depression with infant and early child development, our aim was to describe the burden of mental health disorders among caregivers of young children aged 4–6 years living in an environment of poverty and high HIV seroprevalence. We analyzed baseline data from an epidemiologic study of the health and psychosocial needs of preschool-aged children. Primary caregivers of index children recruited from a household survey were screened for common mental disorders using the Client Diagnostic Questionnaire (CDQ). Sociodemographic, HIV and general health surveys were also conducted. Many caregivers (449/1,434; 31.3 %) screened positive for at least one psychiatric disorder on the CDQ, with post-traumatic-stress-disorder being the most common. Caregivers who screened positive for any disorder were more likely to be older, to have no individual sources of income and to have less formal education. Presence of a disorder was also significantly associated with lower employment levels within the household and death of a young child within the household. Known HIV-infected caregivers were more likely to have any mood disorder than caregivers who previously tested negative. The data support the need for mental health treatment interventions in South Africa, particularly interventions directed at PTSD and depression, and that take into account the high burden of poverty, HIV and childhood mortality. Given the limited formal mental health structure in South Africa to address these highly prevalent disorders; community-based mental health supports, available through decentralized health systems many be critical to delivering accessible interventions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the community for their participation, and the local health authorities, community leaders and study staff. This research was funded by NIDA and Fogarty International Center Brain Disorders in Developing Countries Program under Award R01-DA023697. Opinions presented here are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Maternal and Child Health Unit, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag 7, Congella, Durban, 4013, South Africa

    Meera K. Chhagan, Shuaib Kauchali & Murray H. Craib

  2. Departments of Psychiatry and Sociomedical Sciences, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Claude A. Mellins

  3. Department of Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Myra Taylor & Jane D. Kvalsvig

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Leslie L. Davidson

  5. Department of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Leslie L. Davidson

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  1. Meera K. Chhagan
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  2. Claude A. Mellins
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  3. Shuaib Kauchali
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  4. Murray H. Craib
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  7. Leslie L. Davidson
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Correspondence to Meera K. Chhagan.

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Chhagan, M.K., Mellins, C.A., Kauchali, S. et al. Mental Health Disorders Among Caregivers of Preschool Children in the Asenze Study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Matern Child Health J 18, 191–199 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-013-1254-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-013-1254-5

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