Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Doctors’ attitude towards people with mental illness in Western Nigeria

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

It had been suggested that those more knowledgeable about mental illness are less likely to endorse negative or stigmatizing attitudes. This study aimed to evaluate the attitude of doctors in Nigeria towards the mentally ill.

Methods

Medical doctors (n = 312) from eight selected health institutions in Nigeria completed various questionnaires on knowledge and attitude towards people with mental illness.

Results

Beliefs in supernatural causes were prevalent. The mentally ill were perceived as dangerous and their prognosis perceived as poor. High social distance was found amongst 64.1% and the associated factors include not having a family member/friend with mental illness (OR 7.12, 95% CI 3.71–13.65), age less than 45 years (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.23–4.40), less than 10 years of clinical experience (OR 6.75, 95% CI 3.86–11.82) and female sex (OR 4.98, 95% CI 2.70–9.18).

Conclusion

Culturally enshrined beliefs about mental illness were prevalent among Nigerian doctors. A review of medical curriculum is needed and the present anti-stigma campaigns should start from the doctors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adewuya AO, Makanjuola ROA (2005) Social distance towards people with mental illness among Nigerian university students. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40:865–868

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Akighir A (1982) Traditional and modern psychiatry: a survey of opinions and beliefs amongst people in plateau state, Nigeria. Int J Soc Psychiatry 28:203–209

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H (2003) Public beliefs about schizophrenia and depression: similarities and differences. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 38:526–534

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Aydin N, Yigit A, Inandi T, Kirpinar I (2003) Attitudes of hospital staff toward mentally ill patients in a teaching hospital, Turkey. Int J Soc Psychiatry 49:17–26

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bogardus EM (1925) Measuring social distance. J Appl Sociol 9:299–308

    Google Scholar 

  6. Corrigan PW, Green A, Lundin R, Kublak MA, Penn DI (2001) Familiarity with and social distance from people who have serious mental illness. Psychiatr Serv 52:953–958

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Fabrega H (1991) Psychiatric stigma in non-western societies. Compr Psychiatry 32:534–351

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Gureje O, Lasebikan VO, Ephraim-Oluwanuga O, Olley BO, Kola L (2005) Community study of knowledge of and attitude to mental illness in Nigeria. Br J Psychiatry 186:436–441

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Gureje O, Odejide OA, Acha RA (1995) Pathways to psychiatric care in Ibadan, Nigeria. Trop Geograph Med 47:125–129

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hugo M (2001) Mental health professionals’ attitudes towards people who have experienced a mental health disorder. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs 8:419–425

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kabir M, Iliyasu Z, Abubakar IS, Aliyu MH (2004) Perception and beliefs about mental illness among adults in Karfi village, northern Nigeria. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 4:3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Lauber C, Anthony M, Ajdacic-Gross V, Rossler W (2004) What about psychiatrists’ attitude to mentally ill people? Eur Psychiatry 19:423–427

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Link BG (1982) Mental patient status, work, and income: An examination of the effects of a psychiatric label. Am Sociol Rev 47:202–215

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Link BG, Cullen FT, Struening E, Phelan JC (1989) A modified labelling theory approach to mental disorders: an empirical assessment. Am Sociol Rev 54:400–423

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Makanjuola ROA (1987) Yoruba traditional healers in psychiatry 1. Healers’ concepts of the nature and aetiology of mental disorders. Afr J Med Sci 16:15–59

    Google Scholar 

  16. Moss E, Davidson S (1982) Attitudes towards mental illness in a sample of Israeli rehabilitation workers. Int J Rehab Res 5:45–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Stuart H, Arboleda-Florez J (2001) Community attitudes towards people with schizophrenia. Can J Psychiatry 46:245–252

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Weiner B, Perry RP, Magnusson J (1988) An attribution analysis of reactions to stigmas. J Pers Soc Psychol 55:738–748

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Wolff G, Pathare S, Craig T, Leff J (1996) Community knowledge of mental illness and reaction to mentally ill people. Br J Psychiatry 168:191–198

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Psychiatry, Lagos State University, College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

    Abiodun O. Adewuya MBChB & Ayotunde A. Oguntade MBChB

Authors
  1. Abiodun O. Adewuya MBChB
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ayotunde A. Oguntade MBChB
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abiodun O. Adewuya MBChB.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Adewuya, A.O., Oguntade, A.A. Doctors’ attitude towards people with mental illness in Western Nigeria. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 931–936 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0246-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0246-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation