The Attitude and Knowledge of General Practitioners and Nurses Towards Severe Mental Illness in the Primary Care Facilities of the Seychelles Islands

Aims: People with severe mental illness have a reduced life expectancy of 15–20 years compared with the general population. The current literature shows this vulnerable population are 2 to 3 times increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, 2 to 6 times more likely to die from respiratory d...

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Main Authors: Lisa Kissubi-Chang-Time, Athanasios Hassoulas, Anna-Lisa Labiche
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-06-01
Series:BJPsych Open
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425101658/type/journal_article
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author Lisa Kissubi-Chang-Time
Athanasios Hassoulas
Anna-Lisa Labiche
author_facet Lisa Kissubi-Chang-Time
Athanasios Hassoulas
Anna-Lisa Labiche
author_sort Lisa Kissubi-Chang-Time
collection DOAJ
description Aims: People with severe mental illness have a reduced life expectancy of 15–20 years compared with the general population. The current literature shows this vulnerable population are 2 to 3 times increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, 2 to 6 times more likely to die from respiratory disease, and an increased risk of chronic viral infections such as HIV and hepatitis C. Patient, medication, and healthcare system factors influence the morbidity and mortality of people with severe mental illness. Stigma and discrimination by healthcare workers is a key contributing factor. We conducted this novel study in the Seychelles Islands with the aim of assessing the attitude and mental health knowledge of general practitioners and nurses towards severe mental illness in all 16 government primary healthcare facilities. We also aimed to explore the association of attitude and knowledge variables with sociodemographic characteristics and compare the attitude and knowledge between the two groups. We hypothesized that the greater the knowledge and understanding of severe mental illness the more positive and supportive the attitude would be.
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series BJPsych Open
spelling doaj-art-4fad5e59b555473bb4bdbef5961a47592025-08-20T03:32:55ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Open2056-47242025-06-0111S51S5210.1192/bjo.2025.10165The Attitude and Knowledge of General Practitioners and Nurses Towards Severe Mental Illness in the Primary Care Facilities of the Seychelles IslandsLisa Kissubi-Chang-Time0Athanasios Hassoulas1Anna-Lisa Labiche2Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United KingdomCardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United KingdomHealth Care Agency, Ministry of Health, Mahe, SeychellesAims: People with severe mental illness have a reduced life expectancy of 15–20 years compared with the general population. The current literature shows this vulnerable population are 2 to 3 times increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, 2 to 6 times more likely to die from respiratory disease, and an increased risk of chronic viral infections such as HIV and hepatitis C. Patient, medication, and healthcare system factors influence the morbidity and mortality of people with severe mental illness. Stigma and discrimination by healthcare workers is a key contributing factor. We conducted this novel study in the Seychelles Islands with the aim of assessing the attitude and mental health knowledge of general practitioners and nurses towards severe mental illness in all 16 government primary healthcare facilities. We also aimed to explore the association of attitude and knowledge variables with sociodemographic characteristics and compare the attitude and knowledge between the two groups. We hypothesized that the greater the knowledge and understanding of severe mental illness the more positive and supportive the attitude would be.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425101658/type/journal_article
spellingShingle Lisa Kissubi-Chang-Time
Athanasios Hassoulas
Anna-Lisa Labiche
The Attitude and Knowledge of General Practitioners and Nurses Towards Severe Mental Illness in the Primary Care Facilities of the Seychelles Islands
BJPsych Open
title The Attitude and Knowledge of General Practitioners and Nurses Towards Severe Mental Illness in the Primary Care Facilities of the Seychelles Islands
title_full The Attitude and Knowledge of General Practitioners and Nurses Towards Severe Mental Illness in the Primary Care Facilities of the Seychelles Islands
title_fullStr The Attitude and Knowledge of General Practitioners and Nurses Towards Severe Mental Illness in the Primary Care Facilities of the Seychelles Islands
title_full_unstemmed The Attitude and Knowledge of General Practitioners and Nurses Towards Severe Mental Illness in the Primary Care Facilities of the Seychelles Islands
title_short The Attitude and Knowledge of General Practitioners and Nurses Towards Severe Mental Illness in the Primary Care Facilities of the Seychelles Islands
title_sort attitude and knowledge of general practitioners and nurses towards severe mental illness in the primary care facilities of the seychelles islands
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425101658/type/journal_article
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