Pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study
Objective This study aimed to assess pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia using the WHO Pathway Study Encounter Form.Design A cross-sectional study design was used.Setting Data were collected using face-...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2020-07-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e033928.full |
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| author | Mubarek Abera Senait Teshager Habtamu Kerebih Hailemariam Hailesilassie |
| author_facet | Mubarek Abera Senait Teshager Habtamu Kerebih Hailemariam Hailesilassie |
| author_sort | Mubarek Abera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective This study aimed to assess pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia using the WHO Pathway Study Encounter Form.Design A cross-sectional study design was used.Setting Data were collected using face-to-face interview from patients with various diagnoses of mental illness attending outpatient treatment at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Mekelle City, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.Participants Participants who came to attend outpatient treatment during the study period were included in the study using consecutive sampling technique.Outcome measures Pathways to psychiatric care, delayed psychiatric treatment and factors affecting delayed psychiatric treatment.Results The median duration from problem onset to contact with first care provider was 4 weeks, whereas contact with modern psychiatric services was 52.0 weeks. Study participants who were single (adjusted OR (AOR)=2.91, 95% CI 1.19 to 7.11), divorced (AOR=3.73, 95% CI 1.33 to 10.49) and who perceived mental illness as shameful (AOR=3.29, 95% CI 1.15 to 9.41) had delayed treatment-seeking behaviour, whereas participants with no history of substance use (AOR=0.43, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.92) were less likely to have delayed treatment-seeking behaviour.Conclusions There is significant delay in seeking modern psychiatric treatment. Religious healers were the first source of help for mental illness. Majority of the respondents described that mental illness was due to supernatural causes. Stigma and lack of awareness about where treatment is available were barriers to seeking appropriate care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e0e9530786d546c986ce70d660e00c3d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
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| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-e0e9530786d546c986ce70d660e00c3d2025-08-20T02:18:55ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-07-0110710.1136/bmjopen-2019-033928Pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional studyMubarek Abera0Senait Teshager1Habtamu Kerebih2Hailemariam Hailesilassie3Department of Psychiatry, Jimma University, Jimma, EthiopiaDepartment of Psychiatry, Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Mekele, Northern Ethiopia, EthiopiaDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, EthiopiaObjective This study aimed to assess pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia using the WHO Pathway Study Encounter Form.Design A cross-sectional study design was used.Setting Data were collected using face-to-face interview from patients with various diagnoses of mental illness attending outpatient treatment at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Mekelle City, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.Participants Participants who came to attend outpatient treatment during the study period were included in the study using consecutive sampling technique.Outcome measures Pathways to psychiatric care, delayed psychiatric treatment and factors affecting delayed psychiatric treatment.Results The median duration from problem onset to contact with first care provider was 4 weeks, whereas contact with modern psychiatric services was 52.0 weeks. Study participants who were single (adjusted OR (AOR)=2.91, 95% CI 1.19 to 7.11), divorced (AOR=3.73, 95% CI 1.33 to 10.49) and who perceived mental illness as shameful (AOR=3.29, 95% CI 1.15 to 9.41) had delayed treatment-seeking behaviour, whereas participants with no history of substance use (AOR=0.43, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.92) were less likely to have delayed treatment-seeking behaviour.Conclusions There is significant delay in seeking modern psychiatric treatment. Religious healers were the first source of help for mental illness. Majority of the respondents described that mental illness was due to supernatural causes. Stigma and lack of awareness about where treatment is available were barriers to seeking appropriate care.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e033928.full |
| spellingShingle | Mubarek Abera Senait Teshager Habtamu Kerebih Hailemariam Hailesilassie Pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study BMJ Open |
| title | Pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help-seeking among patients with mental illness in Northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | pathways to psychiatric care and factors associated with delayed help seeking among patients with mental illness in northern ethiopia a cross sectional study |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e033928.full |
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