Prevalence of Violent Victimization and Associated Factors among Psychiatric Outpatients

Abstract

Background: Victimizations, coupled with the existing political and socioeconomic instability in East Africa, poses unbearable burden on people with mental illness. Methods: Six hundred twenty nine psychiatric patients were interviewed by trained psychiatry clinicians consecutively to study prevalence, and associated factors of victimization by using interviewer administered standard international crime victim survey questions. Analysis was done by using SPSS version 20. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and p-value =<0.05 were used to declare the statistical significance. Results: Lifetime and past year prevalence of victimization were 57.4% and 27.4% respectively. Majority of men were perpetrated by Strangers and acquaintances where as majority of women by near family members. In Binary Logistic Regression analysis: factors such as being female; history of psychiatric admission, suicidal attempt, previously cigarette smoking, khat chewing; criminal history and violent perpetration had significant association with victimization. Conclusion: The study identified high prevalence of victimization on people with mental illness which is potential for the formation of stress strain reaction as well as violation of legal rights of that population. Cooperation between law enforcers and mental health clinicians is needed.