Beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural Uganda
Background Mental illnesses constitute a large and escalating portion of the global burden of disease, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Uganda. Understanding community perceptions towards mental illness is crucial for developing effective interventions. Aims To explore belie...
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Cambridge University Press
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BJPsych Open |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425100665/type/journal_article |
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| author | Yang Jae Lee Rita Mbabazi Ondine Jevremov Shakira Nakaweesi Ella Brodey Jason Wykoff Roshan Sivakumar Rauben Kazungu Ibrahim Ssekalo Robert Rosenheck Alexander C. Tsai |
| author_facet | Yang Jae Lee Rita Mbabazi Ondine Jevremov Shakira Nakaweesi Ella Brodey Jason Wykoff Roshan Sivakumar Rauben Kazungu Ibrahim Ssekalo Robert Rosenheck Alexander C. Tsai |
| author_sort | Yang Jae Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Background
Mental illnesses constitute a large and escalating portion of the global burden of disease, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Uganda. Understanding community perceptions towards mental illness is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Aims
To explore beliefs about the perceived causes and treatment of common mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, alcohol use disorder) and suicidality in rural eastern Uganda.
Method
Qualitative study using 31 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions with healthcare workers, community health workers, community leaders and general community members in Buyende District, Uganda. Vignettes were used to depict mental illnesses to elicit perceptions, and data were analysed using the framework method.
Results
Two main themes emerged: perceived causes and treatment of mental illness. Participants identified three primary perceived causes: psychosocial (predominantly financial stress), biological and supernatural. Community support was most frequently endorsed as a perceived effective treatment, followed by biomedical interventions and alternative therapies.
Conclusions
This study identifies common beliefs regarding the causes and perceptions of mental illness in rural Uganda. The predominant focus on financial stressors as a cause of mental illness, coupled with strong emphasis and belief in the effectiveness of community-based support as treatment, highlights the need for context-specific mental health interventions.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eecaeb0b66a14ec79f1e33f4d8809832 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2056-4724 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJPsych Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-eecaeb0b66a14ec79f1e33f4d88098322025-08-20T02:43:36ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Open2056-47242025-07-011110.1192/bjo.2025.10066Beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural UgandaYang Jae Lee0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5127-0786Rita Mbabazi1Ondine Jevremov2Shakira Nakaweesi3Ella Brodey4Jason Wykoff5Roshan Sivakumar6Rauben Kazungu7Ibrahim Ssekalo8Robert Rosenheck9Alexander C. Tsai10https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6397-7917Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA Empower Through Health, Iganga, UgandaEmpower Through Health, Iganga, UgandaWilliams College, Williamsburg, Massachusetts, USACavendish University, Kampala, UgandaWashington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USAEmpower Through Health, Iganga, UgandaEmpower Through Health, Iganga, UgandaEmpower Through Health, Iganga, Uganda Cavendish University, Kampala, UgandaEmpower Through Health, Iganga, Uganda Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USACenter for Global Health and Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda Background Mental illnesses constitute a large and escalating portion of the global burden of disease, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Uganda. Understanding community perceptions towards mental illness is crucial for developing effective interventions. Aims To explore beliefs about the perceived causes and treatment of common mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, alcohol use disorder) and suicidality in rural eastern Uganda. Method Qualitative study using 31 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions with healthcare workers, community health workers, community leaders and general community members in Buyende District, Uganda. Vignettes were used to depict mental illnesses to elicit perceptions, and data were analysed using the framework method. Results Two main themes emerged: perceived causes and treatment of mental illness. Participants identified three primary perceived causes: psychosocial (predominantly financial stress), biological and supernatural. Community support was most frequently endorsed as a perceived effective treatment, followed by biomedical interventions and alternative therapies. Conclusions This study identifies common beliefs regarding the causes and perceptions of mental illness in rural Uganda. The predominant focus on financial stressors as a cause of mental illness, coupled with strong emphasis and belief in the effectiveness of community-based support as treatment, highlights the need for context-specific mental health interventions. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425100665/type/journal_articleGlobal mental healthUgandastigma |
| spellingShingle | Yang Jae Lee Rita Mbabazi Ondine Jevremov Shakira Nakaweesi Ella Brodey Jason Wykoff Roshan Sivakumar Rauben Kazungu Ibrahim Ssekalo Robert Rosenheck Alexander C. Tsai Beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural Uganda BJPsych Open Global mental health Uganda stigma |
| title | Beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural Uganda |
| title_full | Beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural Uganda |
| title_fullStr | Beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural Uganda |
| title_short | Beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural Uganda |
| title_sort | beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural uganda |
| topic | Global mental health Uganda stigma |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425100665/type/journal_article |
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