<p><strong>Objectives.</strong> Depression is associated with diabetes mellitus and affects treatment goals negatively. We aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and identify its socio-demographic or clinical correlates among patients with diabetes mellitus attending an out-patient clinic in Nigeria.</p><p><strong>Methods.</strong> Two hundred consecutively recruited diabetes patients (index group) were compared with a similar number of apparently healthy controls in a cross-sectional survey. In both groups, in addition to obtaining socio-demographic details, depression was diagnosed using the Schedule for the Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), while the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depression symptom severity. <strong></strong></p><p><strong>Results.</strong> Sixty (30%) diabetes patients met a SCAN diagnosis for clinical depression, compared with 19 (9.5%) in the control group. Having a smaller income and more children were significantly correlated with higher depression symptoms on the BDI.</p><p><strong>Conclusion.</strong> Depression is highly co-morbid with diabetes mellitus. The care of individuals with diabetes mellitus should include the screening and possible treatment for depression in order to achieve and sustain treatment goals.</p>

Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia experience immense burden. Public health education as well as targeted interventions in the area of employment, financial and other support for persons with mental disorders would help to ameliorate this burden.

A sample of 252 women was studied for postpartum depression (PPD) in a 68-bed maternity hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. After obtaining consent, they were assessed using: (1) a questionnaire on socio-demographic profile and risk factors of PPD; (2) the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and when necessary with (3) the depressive module of International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10). The cohort was predominantly young (mean age 28.5 +/- 5.26 years). About one-quarter (23%) scored > or =12, (the cut-off score) on EPDS assessment; with majority of these depressed on further evaluation with ICD-10. The risk factors for PPD were found to be mainly psychosocial, including unwanted pregnancy, unemployment and marital conflict. It is concluded that PPD is a major complication of childbirth in Nigeria, which can be minimized by improving both the citizens' socioeconomic condition and providing cheaper and more efficient health-care services.

Infertile women are more vulnerable to psychological distress and require psychological support. There is a need to incorporate mental health screening and treatment in the routine care of infertile women in Nigeria.

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