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<p>Mental illness is prevalent worldwide in all cultures with varying manifestations.
Its socioeconomic impact cannot be underestimated. Mental health accounts for as much
as 14 percent of the global disease burden (Prince, et al. 2007) and depression is
ranked as the fourth leading contributor to the global disease burden. Nevertheless,
mental health remains largely ignored worldwide, especially in developing nations.
</p><p>This cross-sectional study, examines depression in two rural districts in Ghana,
West Africa. Ghana, like many African nations, consists of many ethnic groups, with
lineage networks that dictate personal and public behaviors. Ghana is unique in that
approximately half of the population belongs to the Akan, matrilineal clan. The study
hypothesized that by examining two clan groups (the Akan and Ga-Adangbe) that differed
in lineage a statistically significant difference in rates of depression would be
ascertained.</p><p>Upon receipt of ethical board approval from the Duke University
Institutional Review Board in Durham, NC and Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical
Research Institutional Review Board in Ghana, researchers using the Depression Anxiety
Stress Scales Short form (DASS-21) in a geographically randomly selected sample to
measure depression as well as anxiety and stress among the participants and a demographic
survey, researchers compared the prevalence of depression between the matrilineal
Akan clan and patrilineal Ga-Adangbe clan. Data was analyzed using STATA 11.0.</p><p>The
results indicate a rejection of the null hypothesis. There is a statistically significant
difference in depression score between the women in the Ga-Adangbe clan and Akan clan.
This study reports high co-morbidity of anxiety and stress with depression. Further
research should expand to include other tribes in Ghana and other mental illnesses.</p>
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