KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TOWARDS CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES IN JOS UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, JOS-PLATEAU

Abstract

Despite progress in scientific knowledge of mental disorders and their treatments, there continues to be prejudice, stereotype and stigma towards mental illnesses. Stigma leads to reduced access, personal distress to people with mental illness, and marginal priority to mental health by policymakers. This situation is worse when health professionals are also contributing to stigmatizing attitudes and practices towards mental illness. Stigmatizing attitude towards child and adolescent mental health is poorly understood and could be worse than for adult mental health. Aim: the study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices of health and predictors of attitudes (stigma) within health professionals towards child and adolescent mental health difficulties in Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Methodology: This study was a cross-sectional survey of the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of 395 health professionals from the clinical and non-clinical departments with links to children and adolescents within the Teaching Hospital. Stigmatizing Attitude was assessed with a modified Borgadus social distance scale and items from the World Psychiatric Association Global Programme on stigma. Information was also sought on respondent’s Level of knowledge/ awareness of the causes of mental illness, familiarity with mental illness, perceived institutional and family attitudes towards children and adolescents with mental illness, and level of practice of in relation to the child and adolescent mental health. Respondents’ mental health was assessed by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), which has good reliability in Nigeria. Results: The response rate was 90.63%. The majority of the respondents (51.8%) were female and the sample ranged in age from 20-58 years [Mean 37.6(SD 8.4) years]. Between 77 to 98.3% believed that mental illness is as a result of bio-psycho-social causes, however, more than a quarter believed mental illnesses is caused by evil spirit cast on the mentally ill. The prevalence of high social distance in this group was found to be 60.2%. Multiple regression identified the significant predictors of high social distance as younger age, male gender, Christian religious affiliation, limited knowledge and practice in relation to the child and adolescent mental health, high perceived negative family attitudes towards children and adolescents with mental illness, University level education, being a non-clinical health professional and long years of working in the hospital. Almost 67% of the respondents had ever received training in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, but only 57.7% of respondents endorsed its importance.