Health-Seeking Behaviour of Mentally Ill Patients in Enugu, Nigeria (Report‪)‬

Awareness of mental illness as a significant cause of morbidity is increasing worldwide. This awareness has increased with the steady decline of morbidity due to nutritional disorders, communicable diseases and other forms of physical illness, especially in countries undergoing epidemiological transition (these are countries where epidemiological attention shifts from declining communicable diseases, malnutrition and problems associated with pregnancy and childbirth, to chronic non-communicable diseases which are then the dominant public health problems). (1) A significant disease burden is attributable to mental illness globally. Out of the top 10 leading causes of disability throughout the world, 5 are psychiatric illnesses. (2) According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental illnesses account for 11.5% of the global burden of disease--a figure that is projected to increase to 15% by 2020. Worldwide, 340 million people suffer from mental illnesses, with the majority living in the developing world. (3) In Nigeria, the prevalence of mental illness is reported at 20%. (4) With a population of 140 million and less than 100 psychiatrists, the ratio of psychiatrists to population is 1:1 400 000. (5) This is a long way from the ideal; the equivalent figure for Europe is 1:1 000. (6) These figures imply that many people who need psychiatric consultation and management hardly have access to it, with the likelihood of poor disease outcomes in such instances. As the health-seeking behaviour of patients plays a pivotal role in the outcome of any disease, it is important to understand the treatment options employed by mentally ill patients and their reasons for doing so. This study was conducted to establish the treatment-seeking behaviour of patients suffering from mental illnesses in south-eastern Nigeria. These findings may inform policymakers on how best to utilise the mental health services available.