Prevalence and correlates of job loss among schizophrenia outpatients at St. AmanuelMental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; cross sectional study

Abstract

Background Job loss in patient with chronic illness like schizophrenia is the most serious public concern in the clinical and socio-economic terms worldwide. Patients with schizophrenia usually have unsatisfactory job termination like quitting or getting fired which results well-established negative outcomes. The complex interplay between one another has made job and mental illness the focus areas. In the developing nations, there is limited study on these areas in spite of higher rates of job loss. Objectives This study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of job loss among schizophrenia outpatient units in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted at Saint Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital among schizophrenia outpatient units in Addis Ababa from May to June 2018. A total of 421 study subjects were interviewed using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Perceived devaluation and discrimination scale. Out of the total study participants, female populations were slightly higher (50.4%) and the majorities (38.6%) were orthodox religion followers. Study characteristics was summarized using descriptive statistics and bi-variable and multivariable analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 24. Furthermore, those factors at p value ≤ 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results The prevalence of job loss among patients with schizophrenia was 37.3%. Factors including unmarried [AOR = 2.42:95% CI (1.28, 4.54)], divorced [AOR = 2.34: 95% CI (1.16, 4.71)], severe positive symptoms [AOR = 2.03: 95% CI (1.15, 3.60)], severe general psychopathology [AOR = 1.76: 95% CI (1.01, 3.08)], and poor level of social and occupational functioning [AOR = 5.05: 95% CI (2.81, 9.09)] were significantly associated with job loss among schizophrenia people. Conclusion This study suggested that job loss among schizophrenia outpatients was high. There was significant association among people with unmarried, divorced, severe positive symptoms, poor functionality and higher general psychopathology. Therefore, clinical and psychosocial factors were responsible for job loss which warrant further attention and investigation.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Lifestyles and Levels of Anxiety and Depression of Patients with Schizophrenia: A Retrospective Observational Study

“…The data were collected between 14 April and 9 May 2021 when the third national state of alarm ended in Spain leading to easing of the movement restrictions. The response rate to the survey used in this study was 93.6% which is comparable to that of other previous studies carried out in similar patient groups [ 27 , 28 ].…”

“…This result is especially alarming if we also consider that obesity or being overweight are risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, which represent one of the main causes of premature death in patients with schizophrenia [ 27 , 31 , 33 ]. In line with this data, the results of a recent study carried out during the pandemic in patients with mental disorders found a higher body mass index compared to the general population.…”