Introduction:

In Ecuador, there are disability qualification parameters based on the International Classification of the Functioning of Disability and Health; however, advances in the research fields of psychiatry and mental health are still scarce. For this particular study, The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale was used to determine the degree of disability in the consulting population.

Materials and methods:

The study design was an observational, cross-sectional and correlational study. Using convenience sampling, disability information was collected from a study population of 297 adults with severe mental disorders who were in contact with outpatient psychiatric services. A linear regression model was used to determine the contribution of sociodemographic, clinical, and social variables.

Results:

It was observed that 89.2% of the sample presented some degree of disability. The final multivariate model for the total sample included the explanatory variables of age (p = -0.234), schooling (P = -0.552), being retired (p = 39.44), presence of current depressive episode (p = 21.654), and having a caregiver (p = 9.574), which explained 37.46% of disability in people with serious mental disorders who were treated in psychiatric and mental health services in Quito.

Conclusion:

Disabilities in people with severe mental disorders who are in contact with health services in Quito (Ecuador) may involve changes in the performance of activities among family and community settings. We identified a proportion of moderate and severe disabilities that demand institutional responses, which includes the accompaniment of caregivers and also addresses attitudinal barriers.

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