Abstract

BACKGROUND: The duration of untreated illness (DUI) is one of the few potentially modifiable factors that can influence the outcomes of major mental illnesses. A prolonged DUI has been associated with relapse and poor treatment outcomes, particularly when the illness has an early onset. Multiple factors have been found to contribute to this, especially in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries, where there is a severe shortage of mental health personnel.
AIM: To determine the factors associated with the duration of untreated mental illness among patients with mental disorders at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto, Nigeria
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 257 respondents were recruited over a three-month period using a consecutive sampling technique. Self-designed tools were employed to collect data on participants' characteristics and duration of untreated illness. Data analysis was performed using SPSS, with Chi-square (χ2) tests used to assess associations at p-values less than 0.05. Binary logistic regression was applied to identify the determinants of duration of untreated illness (DUI).
RESULTS: The respondents had a mean age of 32.4 years (SD ± 13.4), with the majority (67.3%) falling within the 20 to 40-year age category. Mood disorders (24.9%) and schizophrenia (20.6%) were the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses. The mean duration of untreated illness (DUI) was 3.4 years (SD ± 6.2), with nearly half (49%) of the respondents experiencing a DUI of one year or more. A significant relationship was found between male gender and DUI, as well as a diagnosis of substance use disorder. Substance use disorder emerged as the only determinant of DUI.
CONCLUSION: The DUI in our research was found to be considerably lengthy in about one in two of the respondents, varying across different diagnoses. Substance use disorder had the most prolonged DUI, and being male gender was also associated with prolonged DUI. This highlights the need for psychoeducation and prompt interventions.

Key words: Keywords: Duration of untreated illness, Mental disorders, Socio-demographics.