YOUNG PERSONS' PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDINAL DISPOSITION TO PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN IBADAN SOUTH-WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The stigma associated with mental illness poses a serious public health concern in Nigeria. The phenomenon adversely affects sufferers' social relationships as well as their physical, psychological and emotional well-being. Young persons' perceptions and attitudinal disposition to people with mental illness in Nigeria have not been fully investigated. This study was therefore carried out to assess young persons' level of knowledge, perceptions and attitude to people with mental illness in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area. A four-stage random sampling technique was used to select 500 young persons aged 10-24 years that consented to participate in the study. Data were collected using a validated semi-structured questionnaire which consisted of a 20-point knowledge scale, as well as questions on perception and attitudes to mental illness. Twelve Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were conducted.The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and Chi-square statistics while the FGD data were transcribed and analyzed using the thematic approach. Respondents' mean age was 16.6 -+3.5 year, 52.4% were males, 85.7% Yoruba and 62.0% Christians. More respondents (66.4%) had secondary education. Majority of the respondents (87.6%) attributed the cause of mental illness to evil spirit. Many respondents (40.2%) stated that medical intervention is the most effective treatment for mental illness while 19.2% were of the view that a combination of medical and traditional treatment is more effective. Respondents' mean knowledge score was 12.3 ± 3.3. The perception of 51.0% of the respondents was that mental illness is curable, while 73.6% were of the view that mental illness is preventable. Twenty seven percent in-school compared with 3.8% out-of-school respondents stated that mental illness is contagious (p<0.05). More respondents in the inner-core area of the LGA (25.8%) had a negative attitude to persons with mental disorders compared with those in transitory (35.2%) would be willing to make friends with a person who has mental illness. Seventy-one percent of the respondents stated that they would not make friends with persons with a history of mental illness while 70.4% would be upset to be in the same class or workplace with such a person. Forty five percent reported that persons with mental illness should be locked up. The FGD participants unanimously disclosed that persons with mental illness are stigmatized because of their unacceptable abnormal behaviour such as violence, verbal assault and fear of being attacked by them. It was suggested by most participants that improved medical treatment and the provision of rehabilitation homes should be used to ameliorate the social burden associated with mental illness. There were negative attitudinal disposition and wrong perceptions which can heighten the stigmatization of mentally ill persons. Community-based mental health promotion programmes implemented through peer education and behavioural change communications are needed to address the identified misconceptions.