Assessing public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes towards mental health disorders and their prevention in Nigeria

This study assessed public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes towards mental health disorders and their prevention in Nigeria, using Uyo Local Government Area (LGA), Akwa Ibom State as a case study. A self-administered anonymous cross-sectional community survey was conducted between September and October 2024 using a modified Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS). The sample comprised 418 respondents who were purposively selected from six selected wards. Descriptive data were summarised using frequency tables and histograms and were tested for association with binary logistic regression at 95% CI. Participants were, on average, 35.6 years old (standard deviation ±12.5), and 55.0% were females. Of the respondents, 93.8% acknowledged psychiatric disorders as medical illnesses, 28.7 per cent described the disorders as infectious, and 35.9% viewed isolation as a treatment. The most mentioned factors were brain damage (p=0.007), anxiety (p=<0001), family breakdowns (p<0001), spirits (p=<0001) and gods (p=<0001). Though the difference was massive, there was a slight variation among the four educational statuses or their mental health knowledge; secondary education or above had 2.5 times more knowledge in mental health than the rest while 1.8 times more knowledgeable than the rural dwellers. These included low mental health literacy, high stigmatisation, herbal medicine use and perceived help-seeking, recognized and fundamental socioeconomic inequalities and weak healthcare systems. In order to overcome these challenges, the study underscores the importance of community involvement, which should be a key part of the blueprint to enhance mental health literacy.