Abstract:
Abstract
Background
: Stigma has been identified as a complex and problematic issue. It acts as a major barrier to accessing care and
can exacerbate the experience of a health con
dition, particularly for clients with mental illness. Research on the attitudes of
health care providers towards people with mental illness has repeatedly shown that they may be stigmatizing. The aim of the
study is to identify factors associated with stig
matization of mental illness among Healthcare providers and to determine the
nature of stigma present in different professional group.
Method:
The investigation was a descriptive and cross
-
sectional study on a stratified and randomly selected sample
popula
tion of 308 Health workers at the Jos University Teaching Hospital.
Questionnaires were used to elicit responses from
the respondents, using the Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale,
Results:
The present study revealed that male gende
r, age group (55
-
64years), professional group (especially laboratory
Scientists) and years of clinical experience (especially
year 10 and above) were significantly associated with stigmatizing
attitude towards mental illness among health care providers at
the Jos University Teaching Hospital.
Conclusion:
Demographic variables such as gender, age, professional group and years of clinical experience can contribute to
variations in attitudes towards people with mental illness among health care providers
Description:
Demographic variables such as gender, age, professional group and years of clinical experience can contribute to
variations in attitudes towards people with mental illness among health care providers
