Beyond recognition: Beliefs, attitudes, and help-seeking for depression and schizophrenia in Ghana

Mental Health, Religion and Culture. 2023. Vol. 26. No. 2. P. 107–130.

Adu P., Jurcik T., Grigoryev D.

There is paucity of research about the beliefs and attitudes regarding specific mental disorders in Ghana. A vignette study was conducted to examine the relationship between causal attributions, help-seeking, and stigma towards depression and schizophrenia using lay Ghanaians (N = 410). This adapted questionnaire presented two unlabelled vignettes about a hypothetical person with the above disorders for participants to provide their impressions. Next, participants answered questions on beliefs and attitudes regarding this person. The results showed that causal beliefs about mental disorders were related to treatment options, and stigma: spiritual causal attributions associated positively with spiritual help-seeking and perceived stigma for the mental disorders, whilst biological, and psychosocial causal attribution of the mental disorders was positively related with professional help-seeking. Finally, contrary to previous literature, religious belief did not negatively associate with professional help-seeking for the mental disorders. In conclusion, results suggest that integration of ‘idioms of distress’ into mental health assessment and interventions may benefit Ghanaians. Our findings have implications for mental health literacy and anti-stigma campaigns in Ghana and other developing countries in the region. 

Keywords: religiosity, stigma, schizophrenia, stigmatization, depression, spiritual culture, mental health literacy, indigenous psychiatry, help-seeking

Publication based on the results of: Socio-cultural and psychological mechanisms of unity and polarization of Russian society in the context of global challenges (2023)