The prevalence and associated characteristics of Bipolar Disorder diagnosis among admitted patients at three tertiary psychiatric hospitals in Zimbabwe: A cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar Affective Disorder (BD) is a serious condition that affects more than 1% of the world's population. If not treated can cause disability, yet its prevalence in Zimbabwe is not known. This study explores the burden of Bipolar Disorder and its associated factors in Zimbabwe. METHODS: A cross sectional study with a sample of 272 participants was carried out at three tertiary hospitals in Zimbabwe. Data was collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I). The study shows the prevalence and factors associated with Bipolar Disorder at tertiary psychiatric hospitals. Data analysis was done using STATA S/E 13.0 for data management. RESULTS: The prevalence of BD in the sample was 39.3%. Factors associated with BD were, being formally employed (AOR = 3.69, 95%CI: 1.55-8.79), a history of defaulting medications (AOR = 1.90, 95%CI: 1.02-3.57) and a reported previous diagnosis of BD (AOR = 5.66, 95%CI: 2.72-11.8). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of BD among admitted participants in tertiary psychiatric hospitals in Zimbabwe is high. It is comparable to that from African studies done in clinical settings. There is need for in-service training for clinicians to be more vigilant in diagnosing BD.

Cognitive performance in depression in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review with meta-analytic components.

BACKGROUND: Depression is highly prevalent in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC) and associated with significant cognitive dysfunction across multiple domains. However, little is known about neurocognitive tests used in people with depression in LMIC. We aimed to investigate cognitive performance and cognitive tests in depression research in LMIC. METHODS: APA PsycInfo, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and Global Health were systematically searched for studies that implemented a cognitive performance test in a depressed, LMIC population. Tool quality was assessed using an adapted scale for quality of measures in cross-cultural settings. Data extracted included demographics, depression and cognitive performance measures, and cognitive performance comparisons between depression and control groups. RESULTS: 29 studies met eligibility criteria, involving a total of 19,100 participants from 11 LMIC. 93.1 % of studies were conducted in upper middle-income countries. 67 cognitive performance tools were implemented. Reliability was reported for 5.6 % of cognitive performance tests and validity was reported for 8.3 %. 36.1 % of tests used were culturally adapted. 75.9 % of included studies implemented at least one memory test. Cognitive deficits were observed in all depressed groups, especially in memory (Cohen's d = -1.60, 95 % CI -2.02 to -1.18). LIMITATIONS: Heterogeneity between studies; averaged results across memory subtypes; no assessment of depression severity and cognitive deficits associations; restrictive search terms. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive impairments in depression, especially in memory, are prevalent in LMIC. This research has drawn attention to the burden of cognitive dysfunction in depression in LMIC, and to the disparate research gap in LMIC. PROSPERO registration CRD42022315397.