69% of Surveyed Nigerians Wouldn’t Relate with Mentally Ill Persons – API

Public perception of mental health in Nigeria is still very poor. In a survey by the African Polling Institute (API), Nigerians revealed that the major causes of mental illness are drug abuse, sickness of the mind, and possession by evil spirits. This is in sharp contrast to globally accepted causes of mental health illnesses.

Poor knowledge of the mental illness, its causes, and characteristics among Nigerians has been a major hurdle to improving mental health in Nigeria. While the level of awareness on the subject is understandably poor and the misconceptions regarding it are fast-growing, the attention it receives is fleeting.

The survey revealed that while many Nigerians are aware of mental health disease, it appears that they recognize and connect with overt signs of mental disorders much more than covert signs. For instance, the survey revealed that 70% of Nigerians believe mental health disease is, “When someone starts running around naked”; 63% were of the opinion that it is “When someone starts talking to himself or herself”; “When someone starts harming themselves” (55%); 54% of respondents indicated that it is, “When someone starts hurting other people”, while; 25% said, it is, “When someone starts keeping to themselves”.

Most respondents who were of the opinion that mental health disease is when someone starts running around naked could be found in the South-West (80%), while respondents who were of the opinion that mental health diseases is beyond identification of obvious signs and could be when someone starts keeping to themselves could be found more in the North-Eastern part of the country (43%).

The investigation into the perception of the causes of mental health disease revealed that “Drug Abuse” (84%) was identified as the most common cause of mental illness. This was followed closely by “Sickness of the mind (60%), “Possession by evil spirits” (54%), 32% of respondents were of the opinion that causes of mental health disease is what runs in the family, and lastly, 23% were of the opinion that what causes mental disease is as a result of God’s punishment.

Further findings under perception on the causes of mental health disease revealed that Female Nigerians (25%) are more likely to view mental health disease as a punishment from God than male Nigerians (20%). Across urbanization, more Nigerians in rural areas (55%) than those in urban areas (53%) view mental health disease as possession by evil spirits, while on the average, across geo-political zones, Nigerians seem to share this sentiment.

On reaction and attitude to individuals perceived to be manifesting the symptoms of mental health illness, 65% of the respondents expressed that they will quickly take the person to the hospital, 18% of the respondents said they will take the person to a prayer house for deliverance, and 8% said they will take the person to a traditional medicine healer. Some respondents claimed that they will resort to the use of force and other extreme measures; by locking up the person (4%) and beating the disease out of the person (2%).

Respondents in the South-East (46%) had the lowest response frequency for those willing to take a mentally ill person to the hospital for proper treatment. The same region of the country had the highest frequency for those willing to take the victim to a prayer house (28%); to take the victim to a traditional healer (14%), and to lock up the victim (8%) in comparison with other geo-political zones of the country.

Majority of the respondents (69%) claimed that they would not engage in any relationship with someone with a mental health disorder. Only about 29% indicated that they could have some form of relationship with victims of mental health disorder through: Friendship (26%); Business (2%); or Marriage (1%). Reasons for the low willingness to associate with mental health victims include personal safety (58%), inability of victims to make sound judgment (17%), perception of the public when seen associating with victims of mental disorders (15%), the belief that mental health disease is transferable (5%), and heartbreak (4%).

About 8% of the respondents revealed that they do not think mental health illnesses are not treatable. Nigerians who have the perception that mental health is untreatable were found more in the South-East (13%). More Nigerians in rural areas (8%) indicated that mental health illness is not treatable compared to those in urban areas (7%).

Some of the reasons why some Nigerians consider mental health to be treatable include the believe that hospitals can provide the necessary help needed to cure mental disorder (38%), knowledge of victims of mental health issues who are doing well (30%), belief in divine healing and intervention for a cure (21%), belief in traditional medicine for cure (6%), and lastly, 4% believe that mental health disease is just like any other disease.

For Nigerians who feel mental health illness is incurable, their perception is hinged on the consideration that they see a lot of mentally deranged people around hence, there appears to be no cure for such disease (31%), this is closely followed by 26% of respondents who believe that victims of mental illness are being possessed by evil spirits, “It is a curse from God” (17%), punishment for wrongdoing by victims (13%), and lastly, 12% believe it is a very serious condition and is simply incurable.

Summarily, the survey revealed that there is a significant misconception about mental health illness in Nigeria and this is commonly connected to the belief held by the majority of Nigerians is that one must display disruptive behaviour that attracts public attention to be regarded as being mentally ill. Against this perception, mental health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Thus, mental health disorder encompasses a wide range of mental health conditions that affect a person’s mood, thinking and behaviour.

Given the outcome of this survey, there is an urgent need to educate Nigerians at community and institutional levels on mental health. This is in order to raise awareness of mental health disorders and improve people’s perception of matters concerning the subject. Through Public-Private Partnerships, mental health awareness and the reach of mental health care can be enhanced.

Mental health services should also be integrated into Primary Health Care so as to reduce the shortcomings involved in providing mental health services in some parts of the country. In addition, the Friendship Bench Programme can be replicated in local communities across Nigeria to serve as an option to residents who lack access to care, to bridge the mental health treatment gap and enhance mental well-being.