Academic Department of Psychiatry, University of Leicester, UK.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2010 Sep;56(5):507-14. doi: 10.1177/0020764009341230. Epub 2009 Aug 3.
Despite the fact that about 10% of children experience mental health problems, they tend to hold negative views about mental illness. The objective of this study was to investigate the views of Nigerian schoolchildren towards individuals with mental illness or mental health problems.
A cross-sectional design was used. Junior and senior secondary schoolchildren from rural and urban southwest Nigeria were asked: 'What sorts of words or phrases might you use to describe someone who experiences mental health problems?' The responses were tabulated, grouped and interpreted by qualitative thematic analysis.
Of 164 students, 132 (80.5%) responded to the question. Six major themes emerged from the answers. The most popular descriptions were 'derogatory terms' (33%). This was followed by 'abnormal appearance and behaviour' (29.6%); 'don't know' answers (13.6%); 'physical illness and disability' (13.6%); 'negative emotional states' (6.8%); and 'language and communication difficulties' (3.4%).
The results suggest that, similar to findings elsewhere, stigmatization of mental illness is highly prevalent among Nigerian children. This may be underpinned by lack of knowledge regarding mental health problems and/or fuelled by the media. Educational interventions and encouraging contact with mentally ill persons could play a role in reducing stigma among schoolchildren.
尽管约有 10%的儿童存在心理健康问题，但他们往往对精神疾病持有负面看法。本研究旨在调查尼日利亚学童对患有精神疾病或精神健康问题的个体的看法。
采用横断面设计。来自尼日利亚农村和城市地区的初中和高中生被问到：“你可能会用什么样的词或短语来描述经历精神健康问题的人？”对回答进行了制表、分组，并通过定性主题分析进行了解释。
在 164 名学生中，有 132 名（80.5%）回答了这个问题。从答案中出现了六个主要主题。最受欢迎的描述是“贬义词”（33%）。其次是“异常的外貌和行为”（29.6%）；“不知道”的答案（13.6%）；“身体疾病和残疾”（13.6%）；“负面情绪状态”（6.8%）；和“语言和沟通困难”（3.4%）。
研究结果表明，与其他地方的发现类似，尼日利亚儿童对精神疾病的污名化现象非常普遍。这可能是由于缺乏对精神健康问题的了解，或者是媒体的推动。教育干预和鼓励与精神病患者接触可能在减少学童污名化方面发挥作用。
