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The State of Readiness of Lagos State Primary Health Care Physicians to Embrace the Care of Depression in Nigeria

Community Mental Health Journal volume 50, pages 239–244 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Globally there is a huge treatment gap for common mental disorders such as depression. Key to improving access to treatment will be the attitudes held towards depression by those physicians who work in Primary Care. This study aimed to explore Lagos State’s Primary Care Physicians’ attitudes towards depression and their views regarding their current working practices. A survey of 41 (82 %) Primary Care Physicians in Lagos State who, after written consent, completed the Depression Attitude Questionnaire which assessed their knowledge and attitude towards the causes, consequences and treatment of depression. The largest part of the sample (37.5 %) estimated that between 5 and 10 % of the patients they saw over a 3 months period would have depression while one in four perceived rates of depression seen to be between 31 and 40 %. Close to half (40 %) of them felt that fewer than 5 % of these depressed patients they saw would need antidepressants and a large part (82.9 %) of them agreed that becoming depressed is a way that people with poor stamina deal with life difficulties. About half (41.6 %) of them believed it was not rewarding to look after depressed patients. Our study suggests that the current knowledge, attitudes and practices of most Lagos State primary health care physicians may be a barrier to patients with depression accessing appropriate care.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioural Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

    Bola Ola & Abiodun Adewuya

  2. Falkirk Community Hospital, Major’s Loan, Falkirk, FK1 5QE, UK

    Jim Crabb

  3. Ministry of Health, Alausa–Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria

    Femi Olugbile

  4. Primary Health Care Board, Alausa–Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria

    Olayinka A. Abosede

Authors
  1. Bola Ola
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  2. Jim Crabb
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  3. Abiodun Adewuya
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  4. Femi Olugbile
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  5. Olayinka A. Abosede
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Correspondence to Bola Ola.

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Ola, B., Crabb, J., Adewuya, A. et al. The State of Readiness of Lagos State Primary Health Care Physicians to Embrace the Care of Depression in Nigeria. Community Ment Health J 50, 239–244 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-013-9648-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-013-9648-9

Keywords

  • Knowledge
  • Attitude
  • Practice
  • Depression
  • Primary health care
  • Physicians