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01-08-2018 | Original Paper

Clergy’s Beliefs About Mental Illness and Their Perception of Its Treatability: Experience from a Church-Based Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT) Trial in Nigeria

Authors: Theddeus Iheanacho, Elina Stefanovics, Echezona E. Ezeanolue

Published in: Journal of Religion and Health | Issue 4/2018

Abstract

Clergy participating in the Healthy Beginning Initiative (N = 45), a program utilizing church workers to integrate packages of care into church activities, completed a 43-item self-administered questionnaire assessing their attitudes and beliefs about mental disorders and perception of their treatability. A majority believed that drug/alcohol use, stress and genetic inheritance could cause mental illness and that society needed to adopt more tolerant attitude toward people with mental disorders. Clergy with contact with people with mental disorders were more likely to perceive depression as treatable. In conclusion, participants had positive attitudes toward mental disorders with some believing that they are treatable.

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Title: Clergy’s Beliefs About Mental Illness and Their Perception of Its Treatability: Experience from a Church-Based Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT) Trial in Nigeria
Authors: Theddeus Iheanacho
Elina Stefanovics
Echezona E. Ezeanolue
Publication date: 01-08-2018
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Religion and Health / Issue 4/2018
Print ISSN: 0022-4197
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0545-3

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Clergy’s Beliefs About Mental Illness and Their Perception of Its Treatability: Experience from a Church-Based Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT) Trial in Nigeria

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