Stigma towards people with mental illness: a cross-sectional study among nursing staff in health facilities in Amolatar district, Uganda
type: CreativeWork
description: Introduction: Mental health of Ugandans could be improved through mainstreaming the services into primary care systems. Nurses constitute a high percentage of the workforce in health; therefore they can significantly contribute towards several experiences by patients with mental illness. Stigma towards mental illness and individuals living with mental illness is among the major hindrances to effective mental health service delivery amongst healthcare workers. Therefore it is important for stigma to be explored among general nurses as mental health services are being integrated into the primary health care. The aim of this study was to explore stigma among general nurses towards mental illness and individuals living with mental illness. Methods: This was a cross-sectional quantitative study. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to nurses working in Amolatar district health facilities that measured knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards individuals living with mental illness, in addition to their familiarity with a person with mental illness. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the extent to which stigma was reported in this population. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using linear and logistic regressions to identify the predictors of the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of nurses regarding mental illness and individuals living with mental illness. Results: Sixty-three general nurses participated in the study. Most of the participants identified schizophrenia as an SMI, however 79% considered stress to be mental illness and only a quarter of respondents scored above 80% on knowledge about mental illness. Most of the participants believed that psychotherapy was the most effective treatment for mental disorders. The nurses were benevolent (mean 3.06, s.d 0.29) and showed acceptance towards mental health services and individuals living with mental illness in the community (mean 3.56, s.d 0.30) however the nurses tended towards …
abstract: Introduction: Mental health of Ugandans could be improved through mainstreaming the services into primary care systems. Nurses constitute a high percentage of the workforce in health; therefore they can significantly contribute towards several experiences by patients with mental illness. Stigma towards mental illness and individuals living with mental illness is among the major hindrances to effective mental health service delivery amongst healthcare workers. Therefore it is important for stigma to be explored among general nurses as mental health services are being integrated into the primary health care. The aim of this study was to explore stigma among general nurses towards mental illness and individuals living with mental illness. Methods: This was a cross-sectional quantitative study. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to nurses working in Amolatar district health facilities that measured knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards individuals living with mental illness, in addition to their familiarity with a person with mental illness. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the extent to which stigma was reported in this population. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using linear and logistic regressions to identify the predictors of the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of nurses regarding mental illness and individuals living with mental illness. Results: Sixty-three general nurses participated in the study. Most of the participants identified schizophrenia as an SMI, however 79% considered stress to be mental illness and only a quarter of respondents scored above 80% on knowledge about mental illness. Most of the participants believed that psychotherapy was the most effective treatment for mental disorders. The nurses were benevolent (mean 3.06, s.d 0.29) and showed acceptance towards mental health services and individuals living with mental illness in the community (mean 3.56, s.d 0.30) however the nurses tended towards …
author: Olwit, Connie
language: eng
date published: 2015
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:41Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Centre for Public Mental Health

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/16709