These symptoms result from exposures to events that individuals are not able to cope with, and can further lead to a depression or anxiety disorders (common mental disorders). They are defined as an emotional state of health, characterized by symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. Mental distress or common mental health problems are two terms used synonymously. Due to the scarcity of mental health services in Myanmar, the findings indicate a need for a mental health policy to handle the burden of mental health problems in Yangon, a burden which is probably high within the country. The prevalence of mental distress is high, and there is an association between HSCL-10 score and education. In linear regression analyses, adjusted for confounders (age, marital status and income), there was a significant negative association between years at school and mental distress among women and older men (> 30 years), but not among the youngest men. Older-age, being separated or divorced and having a higher number of children were associated with increased mental distress. ResultsĪ random sample of 2391 (99.6% response) men and women aged 18–49 years participated in the study. Pearson’s chi-square was used for testing differences between proportions and multiple linear regression analysis was applied to explore the association between education (years at school) and mental distress (HSCL score). The multivariable analysis strategy was based on Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs), to identify confounders, mediators and colliders.
Methodsīetween October and November 2016, a cross sectional study was conducted using a multi-stage sampling design with face-to-face interviews using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10) for mental distress (symptoms of depression and anxiety). As far as the authors are aware, this is the first population-based study in Myanmar estimating the prevalence of mental distress. This study estimates the prevalence of mental distress by socio-demographic and health related factors, and the association between education and mental distress.
Mental health problems are often neglected in communities, and are scarcely studied in developing countries, including Myanmar. Poor mental health is an important contributor to the global burden of disease.
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