ORIGINAL ARTICLE Psychological distress and its effect on tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Ethiopia

Background: Psychological distress is the major comorbidity among tuberculosis (TB) patients. However, its magnitude, associated factors, and effect on treatment outcome have not been adequately studied in low-income countries. Objective: This study aimed to determine the magnitude of psychological distress and its effect on treatment outcome among TB patients on treatment. Design: A follow-up study was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from May to December 2014. Patients (N330) diagnosed with all types of TB who had been on treatment for 12 months were enrolled con-secutively from 15 randomly selected health centers and one TB specialized hospital. Data on socio-demographic variables and economic status were collected using a structured questionnaire. The presence of psychological distress was assessed at baseline (within 12 months after treatment initiation) and end point (6 months after treatment initiation) using the 10-item Kessler (K-10) scale. Alcohol use and tobacco smoking history were assessed using WHO Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Australian Smoking Assessment Checklist, respectively. The current WHO TB treatment outcome definition was used to dif-ferentiate the end result of each patient at completion of the treatment. Results: The overall psychological distress was 67.6 % at 12 months and 48.5 % at 6 months after treatmen