Common Mental Disorders among Haramaya University Employees in Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Common mental disorders affect both individual well-being and the broader work environment, often manifesting as increased absenteeism, presenteeism, strained professional relationships, and reduced productivity. While most Ethiopian mental health studies are community- or hospital-based, focusing on the general public, ado­lescents, or patients in clinical settings, working adults face additional pressures from socio-economic instability and demanding cultural expectations that can exacerbate mental health challenges. Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence of common mental disorders among working adults at Haramaya University, eastern Ethiopia.

Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,164 randomly selected Haramaya Uni­versity employees from December 1, 2018, to February 29, 2019. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the World Health Organization's Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20. Following the World Health Organization recommendations, a cutoff point of ≥ 8 positive responses out of 20 within the previous month was used to define the presence of common mental disorders. To identify associated factors, a modified Poisson regression model with robust variance was utilized, with findings reported as adjusted prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals.

Results: The prevalence of common mental disorders was 14.4% (n=168; 95% CI: 12.5%–16.6%). Being female (APR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.02–1.86), older age groups (APR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.51–0.93), diploma or above education level (APR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.03–1.76), and participants reporting poor or fair self-rated health (APR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.10–1.80), khat chewers (APR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.16–2.13), shisha or gaya smokers’ (APR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.75–3.45), and alcohol consumption (APR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.07–1.89), chronic diseases (APR: 8.38; 95% CI: 6.19–11.35), overweight or obese (APR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.40–0.65) were significantly associated with common mental disorders.

Conclusion: This study revealed that one in seven working adults experienced common mental disorders. Sex, older age groups, diploma or above education level, self-rated health status, substance use, and being overweight or obese were associated with common mental disorders. The presence of unaddressed mental health problems among working adults in a university drastically reduces the institution's overall productivity. It creates a compounding negative effect on academic and operational outputs. These findings highlight that workplace interventions like screening, lifestyle modification, environmental changes, and awareness creation are very crucial to address mental health challenges among university employees in Ethiopia.