Depression and its associated factors among people who use drugs attending the Methadone Treatment Clinic at Tumbi Hospital in Pwani, Tanzania: A cross-sectional study

TL;DR

This study found that 74% of methadone clinic patients in Tanzania experience depression, with women and those with incarceration histories being especially at risk.

Contribution

The study identifies key risk factors for depression in a methadone treatment population in Tanzania, including gender and incarceration history.

Findings

73.9% of methadone clinic attendees in Tanzania had depression, with 47.9% experiencing minimal depression.

Women were 15 times more likely to have depression than men, and those with incarceration histories had twice the risk.

Lack of social support increased depression risk fivefold, while tramadol use reduced it.

Abstract

Opioid use disorder is a major global health concern. While methadone treatment is effective in treating opioid use disorder, individuals often experience severe mental health issues, particularly depression. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among clients attending a methadone clinic in the Pwani Region, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Tumbi Hospital to assess the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among 261 clients at the methadone treatment clinic. Participants were recruited through simple random sampling. Depression-related data were collected using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the socio-demographic and clinical data and prevalence of depression. Furthermore, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the factors associated with depression. A P-value of less than 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval was used to identify the statistically significant association. The mean age of respondents was 40.28 years (SD ± 8.29), and 98.1% were male. The prevalence of depression was 73.9%, with 47.9% of respondents experiencing minimal depression. Females had a 15 times higher risk of depression (adOR = 15.126; P = 0.021) compared to their counterparts. Clients with a history of incarceration were at twice the higher risk of depression (adOR = 2.371; P = 0.012), while not using tramadol for pain management had a reduced risk of depression (adOR = 0.853; P < 0.001). Additionally, clients with a lack of social support had a five times increased risk of depression (adOR = 4.606; P = 0.028). The high prevalence of depression among individuals in methadone treatment underscores the need for comprehensive mental health interventions, with a focus on addressing gender disparities, post-incarceration support, and substance use monitoring.

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