Igbinomwanhia N G, James B O, Omoaregba J O
Department of Clinical Services, Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
Afr J Psychiatry (Johannesbg). 2013 May;16(3):196-200. doi: 10.4314/ajpsy.v16i3.26.
The clergy in sub-Saharan Africa play a major role in the care and pathways to orthodox mental health services of the mentally ill. Their attitudes concerning mental illnesses would influence community mental health intervention efforts. This study aimed to determine the attitudes of clergy towards persons with mental illness.
A cross-sectional survey of clergy (n = 107) of the Christian and Muslim faiths was conducted, using a socio-demographic questionnaire and the 40- item Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness (CAMI) scale.
Stigmatizing attitudes were evident among members of the clergy surveyed. Most (71.1%) believed the mentally ill were different from other persons, while 68.2% were of the opinion that the mentally ill should be controlled like children. Over 80% of respondents were not comfortable with the idea of the mentally ill living in their vicinity and wanted mental health hospitals situated out of residential areas. Almost half of respondents (45.8%) were uncomfortable with women who were once mentally ill baby-sitting and 63.2% agreed that our mental hospitals seem more like prisons than where the mentally ill can be cared for.
Negative attitudes towards the mentally ill were widespread among the clergy sampled. Mental health professionals need to take proactive steps to improve the mental health knowledge of the clergy which may facilitate their roles in the pathway to mental health care.
撒哈拉以南非洲的神职人员在精神病患者的护理及获取正统心理健康服务的途径中发挥着重要作用。他们对精神疾病的态度会影响社区心理健康干预工作。本研究旨在确定神职人员对精神病患者的态度。
对107名基督教和穆斯林神职人员进行了横断面调查，使用了社会人口学问卷和包含40个条目的社区对精神疾病的态度（CAMI）量表。
在接受调查的神职人员中，存在明显的污名化态度。大多数人（71.1%）认为精神病患者与其他人不同，而68.2%的人认为应该像对待孩子一样控制精神病患者。超过80%的受访者对精神病患者住在附近的想法感到不舒服，并希望精神病医院建在居民区之外。近一半的受访者（45.8%）对曾经患过精神病的女性照顾孩子感到不舒服，63.2%的人认为我们的精神病医院看起来更像监狱，而不是能照顾精神病患者的地方。
在所抽样的神职人员中，对精神病患者的负面态度普遍存在。心理健康专业人员需要采取积极措施，提高神职人员的心理健康知识，这可能有助于他们在心理健康护理途径中发挥作用。
