Perceived Stigma and Associated Factors among People with Schizophrenia at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Institution Based Study
Background. While effective treatments are available for people with schizophrenia, presence of perceived stigma prevents them from accessing and receiving the help they need to get. Objectives. To assess the prevalence and associated factors of perceived stigma among people with schizophrenia attending the Outpatient Department of Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods. Institution based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 411 subjects using an Amharic version of the perceived devaluation and discrimination scale. Single population proportion formula was used to calculate sample size. Subjects were selected by systematic sampling techniques. Binary logistic regression and odds ratio with 95% confidence interval were used to identify the association factors of outcome variables. Results. A total of 411 subjects participated in the study giving a response rate of 97.4%. The prevalence of perceived stigma was found to be 83.5%. Education status (not able to read and write) ( , 95% CI: 1.118, 6.227), difficulties of adherence to antipsychotic drug ( , 95% CI: 2.309, 8.732), and duration of illness less than one year ( , 95% CI: 2.238, 5.422) were factors associated with perceived stigma. Conclusion. Overall, the prevalence of perceived stigma was found to be high. Education status (not able to read and write), difficulties of adherence to antipsychotic medication, and duration of illness were factors associated with perceived stigma. Adherence to antipsychotic medication particularly during the early stage of the illness and strengthening the educational status of the participants were suggested in the clinical care setting. 1. Background Mental and behavioral disorders are estimated to account for 12% of the global burden of disease [1]. Globally, 450 million people were estimated to be suffering from neuropsychiatric conditions [2]. Of these conditions Schizophrenia is one of the most chronic and disabling illnesses, which affects 24 million people worldwide [2, 3]. In Ethiopia, mental illness is the leading noncommunicable disorder in terms of burden with schizophrenia and depression included in the top ten most burdensome conditions, out-ranking HIV/AIDS [4]. While effective treatment for mental disorders is available, barriers such as stigma against people with mental disorders prevent them from accessing and receiving the help they need to get and stay well [1]. One of the most severely stigmatized mental disorders is schizophrenia, which was selected as the central focus of the World Psychiatric
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