ABSTRACT
Introduction: Women are currently more likely than men to suffer from mental health
problems. The prevalence of mental health problems among women is also
increasing. However, few studies conducted in Africa provide epidemiological data on women. The aim of this study
was to describe the epidemiological profile of women with mental health
problems in Dakar. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional,
retrospective, descriptive study over a five-year period, from 1 January 2017
to 31 December 2021. It concerned all women hospitalised for psychiatric
reasons at the Psychiatry Department of Fann Hospital, Dakar, Senegal. The data
collection form provided information on the sociodemographic profile, i.e., age, current address, marital
status, ethnicity, religion, level of education, professional activity, and use
of psychoactive substances. Results: The prevalence of mental disorders
was 34.9% and concerned the following ICD-10 pathology groups [F00 - 09], [F10 - F19],
[F20 - F29], [F30 - F39], [F40 - 48],
[F50 - F59] and [F60 - F69]. The mean age of the patients was 37 years,
with a standard deviation of 13 and extremes from 16 to 74 years. Most patients
were unmarried (56%). Among the married patients, the monogamous regime was in
the majority in our study: 56% compared with 44% for the polygamous regime.
Women had to attend French school in 74% of
cases. In our study, 32% of patients had reached university level. The majority
were unemployed (67%). The notion of mourning was found in 214 patients
(30.2%). The birth of one or more children marked the lives of 184 patients
(26%). Divorce was noted in 103 patients (14.5%). Marital conflicts were experienced
by 94 patients (13.3%). Twenty percent of the patients had used psychoactive
substances. Conclusion: The epidemiological profile of a woman with a
mental disorder in Dakar is that of a single woman in her forties who had
attended university and was a housewife. She does
not use psychoactive substances and has experienced at least one mourning
in her life.
Share and Cite:
Wade-Kane, R. , Seck, S. , Thiam, K. , Ndongo, N. , Faye, P. , Sylla, A. and Thiam, M. (2023) Epidemiological Profile of Women with Mental Disorders in Hospital in Dakar.
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
13, 355-372. doi:
10.4236/ojpsych.2023.134027.