Prevalence and pattern of emotional abuse of children in their homes; self reported experience of children in Ilorin Nigeria

A Oladosu,O Abiodun,M Tunde-Ayinmode

doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.1890

Abstract

IntroductionThe prevalence and pattern of emotional abuse of children in Nigeria is poorly understood. Data from other parts of the world indicate it is commoplace and has enduring negative mental health impact. The current study aims to understand the phenomenon the more.ObjectivesTo determine the prevalence and pattern of emotional abuse of children in their homes in NigeriaMethodsCross sectional survey of 1, 5444 secondary school students aged 11-18 years in Ilorin Nigeria using multistage random sampling technique with proportional allocation was done. Respondents completed the ICAST-CH questionnaire which covers child abuse in its several forms including emotional abuse. Prevalence of emotional abuse was computed.ResultsAll respondents (100%) had experienced emotional abuse at home in the last one year Table 1: Prevalnce annd pattern of emotional abuse at home among children in Ilorin NigeriaEmotional Abuse* (n=1554)FrequencyPercentageThreatened to hurt or kill you or threatened with evil spirits1554100Screamed at152898.3Bullied by another child at home121878.4Insulted112272.2Made you feel embarrassed57436.9Wished you were dead22414.4Locked out of home19612.6Threatened to abandon you956.1ConclusionsEmotional abuse of children at home is common place in Ilorin Nigeria. It would seem important to educate parents on what emotional abuse is and its potential impact in children.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Highlights

Physical abuse of children in schools is common in Nigeria, but its prevalence and forms are yet to be clearly studied
Physical abuse of children is extremly commonplace in public secondary schools in Nigeria. it is neccessary to explore other ways of dealing with children in educational institutions
There is a paucity of information on the exposure of children to violence in Nigeria

Summary

Introduction

Given the effectiveness and overall safety in several psychiatry conditions, electroconvulsive therapy remains a widely used procedure in current medical practice. Informed consent is still a requirement for the use of ECT both in voluntary and compulsory treatment; since severe mental illness can affect decision-making capacity and insight of the need for treatment, this requirement often constitutes an obstacle to its use. Methods: Review of literature on the ethical and legal issues involving the ECT use in patients on compulsory treatment, considering the efficacy, risks, the mental health legislation in Portugal, and several international directives. ECT can only be administered to patients who prior consent to the treatment. We often face an ethical dilemma, when severely ill patients, whose insight, the ability for self-determination and decision-making capacity may be impaired, refuse a potential beneficial treatment as ECT. Conclusions: The use of ECT in severe mental illness is still hampered by legal and ethical constraints.

Conclusions

Findings