Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025222 (Oral 122) | Published: 13 Aug 2025
Gloria Eifediyi1,&, Ekaete Tobin2,3,4, Martha Okonofua2,4, Henry Edeko5, Patricia Nwokike1, Joy Eighemhenrio1, Rita Atafo1, Esther Okogbenin6,7, Pristar Oshiozuwe Omogbai4,8, Amajuoritse Mercy Owolabi4,8, Reuben Agbons Eifediyi9, Joseph Okoeguale9,10, Ujiagbe Moses Aiterebhe5,9, George Akpede9,11
1Psychosocial Support Unit, Institute of Viral and Emergent Pathogens Control and Research, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria, 2Department of Community Medicine, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria, 3Department of Community Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria, 4Department of Nursing Services, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria, 5Data Unit, Institute of Viral and Emergent Pathogens Control and Research, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, 6Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Medicine, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua Nigeria, 7Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria, 8Institute of Viral and Emergent Pathogens Control and Research, 9Department of Paediatrics, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria, 10Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria, 11Department of Paediatrics, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria
&Corresponding author: Gloria Eifediyi, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria. Email: eifediyig@gmail.com
Received: 23 Apr 2025, Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 13 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Anxiety, depression, family caregiver, psychosocial support
©Gloria Eifediyi et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Gloria Eifediyi et al., Sociodemographic and prevalence of psychological distress among caregivers of Lassa fever patients at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State, Nigeria. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00122. https://doi.org/10.37432/jieph-confpro5-00122
Lassa fever (LF) poses a significant public health challenge, with Edo State contributing a large share of cases in Nigeria. Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) serves as the referral centre in the state, offering specialized care. Family caregivers play a vital role in supporting hospitalized patients but face risks of infection and emotional strain which may lead to psychological distress. This study aims to determine the prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with anxiety and depression among caregivers.
A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted between February to May 2022 at IVEPCR Ward. Consenting primary caregivers were recruited through total population sampling. A total of 195 caregivers participated. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires capturing sociodemographic information and psychological distress, measured by validated tools: the nine-item patient Health Questionnaire for depression, (total score: 0-27, depressive symptoms > 5), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 for anxiety (total score: 0-21, anxiety symptoms > 5). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression using SPSS version 25.
Most respondents were female (80.5%), with a mean age of 39.97 ± 13.42 years; majority were Christian (82.1%) and married (72.3%). Business/trading was the predominant occupation (50.8%). Mothers (34.9%) were the most common caregivers. Anxiety scores (GAD-7) averaged 4.03 ± 4.55, with severity levels: none (64.8%), mild (22.5%), moderate (7.7%), severe (4.9%). Depression scores (PHQ-9) averaged 1.86 ± 4.10, with severity levels: none (86.6%), mild (10.6%), moderate (1.1%), severe (1.7%). Suicidal ideation was reported by 5.3%. No significant associations were observed between psychological distress and Sociodemographic variables or caregiver relationship (p > 0.05).
A considerable proportion of caregivers of Lassa fever experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression. This highlights the need for routine psychological screening and provision of mental health and psychosocial support to improve caregivers’ well-being and enhance patient care in endemic regions.
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