Factors associated with stigmatization of mental illness among health care providers of a tertiary healthcare centre

Abstract

Background: Stigma has been identified as a complex and problematic issue. It acts as a major barrier to accessing care and can exacerbate the experience of a health condition, particularly for clients with mental illness. Research on the attitudes of health care providers towards people with mental illness has repeatedly shown that they may be stigmatizing. The aim of the study is to identify factors associated with stigmatization of mental illness among Healthcare providers and to determine the nature of stigma present in different professional group. Method: The investigation was a descriptive and cross-sectional study on a stratified and randomly selected sample population of 308 Health workers at the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Questionnaires were used to elicit responses from the respondents, using the Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale, Results: The present study revealed that male gender, age group (55-64years), professional group (especially laboratory Scientists) and years of clinical experience (especially year 10 and above) were significantly associated with stigmatizing attitude towards mental illness among health care providers at the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Conclusion: Demographic variables such as gender, age, professional group and years of clinical experience can contribute to variations in attitudes towards people with mental illness among health care providers.