In Mozambique, the prevalence of common mental illness in primary care is not well established.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of, and associated factors for, common mental illness in patients accessing primary care services in three Ministry of Health clinics in Mozambique.

Adult patients were recruited from the waiting rooms of prenatal, postpartum and general out-patient consultations. A mental health professional administered a diagnostic interview to examine prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and any substance misuse or dependence. Generalised linear mixed models were used to examine the odds of each disorder and sociodemographic associations.

Of 502 patients interviewed, 74.1% were female (n = 372) and the average age was 27.8 years (s.d. = 7.4). Of all participants, 23.9% (n = 120) met diagnostic criteria for at least one common mental disorder; 8.6% were positive for MDD (n = 43), 13.3% were positive for GAD (n = 67), 4.8% were positive for PTSD (n = 24) and 4.0% were positive for any substance misuse or dependence (n = 20). Patients attending prenatal or postpartum consultations had significantly lower odds of any common mental disorder than patients attending out-patient primary care. Age was negatively associated with MDD, but positively associated with substance misuse or dependence.

Over 20% of patients attending primary care in Mozambique may have common mental disorders. A specific focus on patients attending general out-patient visits, young people for depression, and older people and men for substance misuse/dependence would provide a targeted response to high-risk demographics.