Browsing by Author "Ephraim-Oluwanuga, O."

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Community study of knowledge of and attitude to mental illness in Nigeria
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2005) Gureje, O.; Lasebikan, V. O.; Ephraim-Oluwanuga, O.; Olley, B. O.; Kola, L.
Background: The improvement of community tolerance of people with Mental illness is important for their integration. Little is known about the knowledge of and attitude to mental illness in sub-Saharan Africa. Aims: To determine the knowledge and attitudes of a representative community sample in Nigeria. Method: A multistage, clustered sample of household respondents was studied in three states in the Yoruba-speaking parts of Nigeria (representing 22% of the national population). A total of 2040 individuals participated (response rate 74.2%). Results: Poor knowledge of causation was common. Negative views of mental illness were wide spread, with as many as 96.5% (s.d. =0.5) believing that people with mental illness are dangerous because of their violent behaviour. Most would not tolerate even basic social contacts with a mentally ill person: 82.7% (s.e.=1.3) would be afraid to have a conversation with a mentally ill person and only16.9% (s.e.=0.9) would consider marrying one. Socio-demographic predictors of both poor knowledge and intolerant attitude were generally very few. Conclusions: There is widespread stigmatisation of mental illness in the Nigerian community. Negative attitudes to mental illness may be fuelled by notions of causation that suggest that affected people are in some way responsible for their illness, and by fear.
Do beliefs about causation influence attitudes to mental illness?
(Elsevier Ltd., 2006-06) Gureje, O.; Olley, O.; Ephraim-Oluwanuga, O.; Kola, L.
Studies indicate that stigmatizing attitudes to mental illness are rampant in the community worldwide. It is unclear whether views about the causation of mental disorders identify persons with more negative attitudes. Using data collected as part of a community study of knowledge of and attitudes to mental illness in Nigeria, we examined the relationships between views about causation and attitudes. Persons holding exclusively biopsychosocial views of causation were not different from those holding exclusively religious-magical views in regard to socio-demographic attributes, and the two groups were not very dissimilar when general knowledge of the nature of mental illness was compared. However, religious-magical views of causation were more associated with negative and stigmatizing attitudes to the mentally ill. Findings demonstrate the challenge of developing and delivering an educational program to change public attitudes to mental illness.