Changes in Attitudes Towards Mental illness after Exposure to a Course in Abnormal Psychology among Students of a Nigerian University.

Abstract

Background Several community studies in Nigeria of attitudes towards mental illness
suggest low knowledge and a deep-seated negative attitude about the illness . Little is
known about the effect of education in changing these rather negative views.
Aims To determine the effects of exposure to a 13 week course in Abnormal Psychology on a
follow-up assessment of knowledge and attitudes of undergraduate students of the
University of Ibadan, Nigeria towards mental illness.
Method All 140 students who registered for Abnormal Psychology: course code Psy 202 in
the 2004/2005 academic session were first assessed at baseline (the first day of lecture) and
at after 13 weeks (26 hours) the end of course evaluation. The response rate was 100% at
both baseline and at follow-up.
Results At the follow-up evaluation, knowledge about mental illness was significantly
higher in all the items measured. There were non-significant changes in all items assessing
stigma of mental illness except in the items indicating feeling upset or disturbed working in
the same job and maintaining a friendship with someone with mental illness respectively. A
significant favourable change was observed in the students perception towards group
homes in the neighbourhood for people with mental illness. No significant changes were
observed in attitudes toward human rights of the mentally ill, except regarding an item
stating that mentally ill individuals should not have children in order to avoid heredity
handicaps, with which a lower percentage agreed.
Conclusions Poor knowledge and stigmatization of mental illness still exist among
undergraduate students in Nigeria. While exposure to a course in abnormal psychology was
effective in changing knowledge, there were still some aspects of stigma that were not
amenable to education.

Nigerian Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 5 (1) 2007: pp. 38-41