The distribution of mental disorders among an isolated island community in southern Ethiopia

Background: It is now recognized that surveys of unique communities are important to better understand the epidemiology of mental disorders. The Zeway islanders are completely different from the surrounding cultural groups, in the midst of whom they have been living in isolation for over three centuries. Objectives: To describe the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of major mental disorders in this community. Methods: Trained and supervised field workers were employed to conduct a door-to-door survey of the entire adult population of the islands using the Amharic CIDI (Composite International Diagnostic Interview). Results: A total of 18.3% of the study subjects were classified as having ICD-10 diagnoses excluding substance use disorders. The most prevalent CIDI/ICD-10 disorder in the study were neurotic and somatoform disorders (17%). Affective disorders were present in 2.2% while no cases of psychoses were found. The prevalence of tobacco use and alcohol dependence was 0.4% and 1.5%, respectively, with all cases being males. Conclusion: The pattern of occurrence of mental disorders in this isolated community is different from other populations in Ethiopia and elsewhere with no reported case of psychoses.