ArticleInternational journal for equity in health2017
An exploratory study assessing psychological distress of indigents in Burkina Faso: a step forward in understanding mental health needs in West Africa.
Article in International journal for equity in health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evaluating the technical efficiency of primary health facilities in delivering adolescent mental, sexual and reproductive health services in Burkina Faso.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Adolescent mental health services in West Africa: a comparative analysis of Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Niger.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2024Article
- Factors Influencing Primary Care Access for Common Mental Health Conditions Among Adults in West Africa: Protocol for a Scoping Review.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Acceptability of contact management and care of simple cases of COVID-19 at home: a cross-sectional study in Senegal.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2022Article
- Knowledge of COVID-19 and the impact on indigents' access to healthcare in Burkina Faso.International journal for equity in health · 2022Article
- Factors related to excessive out-of-pocket expenditures among the ultra-poor after discontinuity of PBF: a cross-sectional study in Burkina Faso.Health economics review · 2020Article
- Do Targeted User Fee Exemptions Reach the Ultra-Poor and Increase their Healthcare Utilisation? A Panel Study from Burkina Faso.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
- Stress begets stress: the association of adverse childhood experiences with psychological distress in the presence of adult life stress.BMC public health · 2018Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPoverty is known as an important determinant of health, but empirical data are still missing on the relationships between poverty, other adverse living conditions, and psychological distress, particularly in low-income countries. This study aimed to assess mental health needs and psychological distress among the poorest in rural settings in Burkina Faso where food security and access to water, electricity, schooling, and healthcare are limited.
methodsWe randomly selected 2000 individuals previously identified as indigents by a community-targeting process. Interviewers visited participants (n = 1652) in their homes and completed a questionnaire on mental health variables that included presence and intensity of anxious, depressive, psychotic, and aggressive symptoms, as well as level of psychological distress. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, and logistic regressions were performed.
resultsIn all, 40.2% of the sample reported 10 or more anxious/depressive symptoms in the past 30 days, and 25.5% reported having experienced at least one psychotic symptom over their lifetime, 65.6% of whom had had those symptoms for many years. The number of anxious and depressive symptoms was significantly associated with the level of psychological distress (r = 0.423, p < .001). Predictors of distress level included: poor health condition (F(1) = 23.743, p <. 001), being a woman (F(1) = 43.926, p < .001), not having any income (F(1) = 16.185, p < .001), having begged for food in the past 30 days (F(1) = 12.387, p < .001), being illiterate, and being older (F(1) = 21.487, p < .001). Approximately one third of respondents reporting anxious/depressive or psychotic symptoms (28.2 and 30.0%, respectively) had not talked about their symptoms to anyone in their social network.
conclusionsThese results suggest alarmingly high levels of psychological distress and reported symptoms among the poorest in rural settings in Burkina Faso, which can be explained by their difficult living conditions. However, these results must be interpreted from a transcultural perspective to avoid decontextualized misinterpretations. Ethnographic works are needed to document the larger context within which these distress results can be analyzed.
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