Perception of and attitude towards mental illness in Oman.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
As conceptions of mental illness are often dictated by prevailing socio-cultural factors and the philosophy of the time, there is little research to substantiate how mental illness is perceived in the Arab world in the light of both traditional and more recent modernization and acculturation processes.

AIMS:
To examine whether social factors exert an influence on a person's attitude towards people with mental illness (PWMI) in the rapidly changing country of Oman.

METHODS:
This study compares the response elicited from medical students, relatives of psychiatric patients and the general Omani public on the causes of mental illness, attitudes toward PWMI and the care and management of people with mental illness.

RESULTS:
This study found no relationship between attitudes towards PWMI, and demographic variables such as age, educational level, marital status, sex and personal exposure to people with mental illness. Both medical students and the public rejected a genetic factor as the cause of mental illness; instead they favoured the role of spirits as the aetiological factor for mental illness. There were favourable responses on statements regarding value of life, family life, decision-making ability, and the management and care of mental illness. However, both medical students and the public thought that PWMI tend to have peculiar and stereotypical appearances and the majority preferred that facilities for psychiatric care should be located away from the community. Although the relatives of psychiatric patients were concerned about the welfare of mental patients, their responses varied and were often contingent upon their expectations.

CONCLUSIONS:
The data suggest that neither socio-demographic factors nor previous exposure to PWMI was related to attitudes towards PWMI. Although the attitudes of Omanis toward PWMI appear to fluctuate in complex ways, traditional beliefs on mental illness have yet to be eroded by exposure to a biomedical model of mental illness. This study largely supports the view that the extent of stigma varies according to the cultural and sociological backgrounds of each society.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Al-Adawi, Samir (S); Dorvlo, Atsu S S (AS); Al-Ismaily, Suad S (SS); Al-Ghafry, Dalal A (DA); Al-Noobi, Balquis Z (BZ); Al-Salmi, Ahmed (A); Burke, David T (DT); Shah, Mrugeshkumar K (MK); Ghassany, Harith (H); Chand, Suma P (SP);

Affiliation: Department of Behavioural Sciences and Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. adawi(-atsign-)squ.edu.om

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: The International journal of social psychiatry (Int J Soc Psychiatry), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Dec; vol 48 (issue 4) : pp 305-17

Dates: Created 2003/01/29; Completed 2003/05/02; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12553410, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Attitude to Health
Culture
Female
Humans

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.