Magnitude and Associated Factors of Depression Among Hypertensive Patients Attending Treatment Follow Up in Chronic OPD at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Hawassa, Southern Ethiopia.

Background: Hypertension and depression are among the most common public health issues affecting the population around the world. Like patients with other chronic medical conditions, hypertensive patients experience many intense emotions which increase their risk for the development of depression. Globally, depression is the leading cause of disability and 382 million people suffer worldwide.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and factors associated with depression among hypertensive patients attending treatment follow up in the chronic OPD at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HUCSH) from March to May, 2019.

Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 310 hypertensive patients attending treatment follow up at the chronic Out-Patient Department of HUCSH at Hawassa from March to May, 2019. A validated patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression. The data were entered using EPI-data version 3.1 and analyzed in SPSS version 22. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the association of independent variables with dependent variables.

Results: The magnitude of depression among hypertension (HPN) patients was found to be 73 (24.7%). The independent predictors were sex 2.6 (1.16, 5.83), age 11.2 (2.98, 42), educational status, social support 2.55 (1.09, 5.94), family history of depression 7.12 (1.48, 34.26), hypertension 7.57 (2.67, 21.44), and medication adherence 11.6 (4.23, 31.78).

Conclusion: The magnitude of depression among HPN patients was high. So, continuous health information dissemination at a different level regarding factors affecting them should be given. Strengthening a referral linkage with a psychiatric unit for psycho-behavioral therapy will bring good clinical outcome. Besides, controlling hypertension was crucial to bring good clinical outcome.