Pathway to care and time to treatment among patients attending psychiatry service at Dilla, Ethiopia, a cross-sectional study

TL;DR

This study in Ethiopia found that most patients face delays in accessing psychiatric care due to factors like poor social support and lack of awareness.

Contribution

The study identifies specific factors associated with delayed psychiatric care in a regional Ethiopian context.

Findings

Only 5.9% of patients used a direct pathway to psychiatric care.

51.7% of patients experienced delayed treatment.

Younger adults, males, and those with schizophrenia were more likely to use direct pathways.

Abstract

Mental health disorders are a significant global health concern. Timely access to psychiatric care is crucial for positive treatment outcomes. However, the path to care followed can vary greatly. Understanding these pathways is essential for identifying potential delays in accessing treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pathway to care and the time to treatment among patients attending psychiatry services. The cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2023. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to recruit a sample of 424 participants. Data were collected using questionnaires. The Epi-collect smartphone application was used to collect data and then data was exported and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with paths to psychiatric care. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The magnitude of direct pathway to care, and delayed treatment was 5.9% (95% CI: 3.9-8.6%) and 51.7% (95% CI: 46.8-56.5%) respectively. Several factors were associated with the direct pathway to care. Younger adults (AOR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.384, 7.276), males (AOR: 3.0, 95% CI: 2.048, 6.037), and those with schizophrenia (AOR: 2.4, 95%CI: 1.6, 4.8) were more likely to use direct pathway to psychiatry care. In contrast, Poor social support, low mental health literacy, lack of awareness about treatment availability and greater distance to a health facility were associated with a decreased likelihood of taking direct pathway to psychiatric care. This study found limited use of direct pathways to psychiatric care. Poor social support, low mental health literacy, lack of awareness about treatment availability and greater distance to a health facility were associated with a decreased likelihood of taking a direct pathway to psychiatric care.

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