KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS MENTAL ILLNESS AMONG RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF CHAMBAL REGION, MADHYA PRADESH (INDIA)

Introduction: Knowledge of the community regarding mental health problems has a remarkable impact on the attitude, the help-seeking path, and prevention of stigma and discrimination against patients with mental health problems. Mental disorders are attached to negative and stigmatizing attitudes, often due to a lack of knowledge about mental illness (Jilowa et al.,2016). Materials & Methods: The study included a total of 300 participants, comprising 184 individuals from rural areas and 116 from urban areas of Chambal reason of Madhya Pradesh. The Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS) Developed by Evans- Lacko, S. Henderson., & Thoenicroft, G, (2013) was used for the assessed the knowledge about mental illness and Opinion about Mental Illness Scale for Chinese Community (OMICC) developed by Ng, P., & Chan K.F., 2000 were used for assessed the attitude level of participants. Results: Both rural and urban populations showed similar levels of knowledge about mental illness, with no statistically significant difference observed. Attitudes towards mental illness were generally similar between rural and urban populations across various dimensions (Benevolence, Separatism, Stereotypy, Restrictiveness, Pessimistic Prediction, Stigmatization), with no significant differences found. Conclusion: The lack of significant differences in knowledge and attitudes between rural and urban areas implies that educational efforts and societal perceptions regarding mental health have permeated both types of communities to a similar extent.