Factors Associated with Relapse in Schizophrenia Patients Who are on Follow Up at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and Mekelle General Hospital, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2018/19

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling illness; relapse is recognized as the reemergence or the worsening of positive and/or negative psychotic symptoms, hospital admission or readmission. Factors that associated with relapse; substance use disorders, noncompliance of medicine, side effect experience of antipsychotic, poor social support, co-morbidity of other mental illness and chronic medical condition. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with relapse in schizophrenia patients who are on follow up at Ayder comprehensive specialized hospital and Mekelle general hospital. An institutional based unmatched case-control study was conducted from April to May 2019 at Ayder comprehensive specialized hospital and Mekelle general hospital. Double population proportion was used to calculate sample size, and the final sample size was 155 (52 cases and 103 controls). Data were entered in the computer using Epidata manager 4.4.2.1 version and analyzed by using SPSS 25 version. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the associated factors. The p-value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The major associated factors were: co morbid major depression disorder (AOR=3.69, 95%CI: 1.10, 12.40), nonadherent (AOR=6.46, 95%CI: 2.44, 17.09), had no religious practice (AOR=5.41, 95%CI: 1.84, 15.91), duration of treatment >5 years (AOR=3.99, 95%CI: 1.19, 13.38) and primary educational level (AOR=6.6, 95%CI: 1.44, 30.29).Among the studied factors, primary educational level, had no religious practice, co-morbid major depression disorder, duration of treatment greater than 5 years, and medication nonadherent were found to be associated with relapse of schizophrenia patients. Therefore, relapse prevention in schizophrenia patients should be established treatment guideline to psychiatry professionals.

Keywords: Schizophrenia, relapse, follow up, factors associated, Mekelle, Ethiopia

Cite this Article

Ashenafi Damte, Fantahun Andualem, Tsehaynesh Aslake. Factors Associated with Relapse in Schizophrenia Patients Who are on Follow Up at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and Mekelle General Hospital, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2018/19. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Neuroscience. 2020; 10(1): 1–9p.