Community perceptions of mental illness in rural Uganda: An analysis of existing challenges facing the Bwindi Mental Health Programme
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Community perceptions of mental illness in rural Uganda: An analysis of existing challenges facing the Bwindi Mental Health Programme | |
| Creator | Shah, Arya Wheeler, Lydia Sessions, Kristen Kuule, Yusufu Agaba, Edwin Merry, Stephen P. | |
| Description | Objectives: To assess community perceptions of mental illness in the Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) catchment area: to recognise beliefs about the causes and the treatments for mental illness. To provide community data to staff at BCH as they work to develop more effective community mental health programmes.Background: A shortage of mental health providers in Uganda has prompted research into community-based task-sharing models for the provision of mental health services in underserved communities.Methods: Six focus group discussions, with a total of 54 community members (50% male, n = 27; mean age + s.d. [39.9 + 10.9 years]) from the BCH catchment area, were conducted to assess community member and stakeholder perceptions of mental illness and belief in the feasibility of community-based programming. Qualitative study of data through thematic analysis was conducted to assess the presence of commonly occurring perceptions.Results: Qualitative thematic analysis revealed two major themes: (1) belief that any given patient’s metal illness results from either an intrinsic or an extrinsic cause and (2) belief in a need to determine treatment of mental illness based on the believed cause.Conclusion: As BCH designs community-based mental health services, our findings provide support for the need for further education of community members and training of community health workers to address and integrate the above-stated beliefs regarding mental illness. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2017-10-11 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v9i1.1404 | |
| Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 9, No 1 (2017); 9 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1404/2279
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1404/2278
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1404/2280
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1404/2277
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