The influence of demographic factors on adolescents' knowledge and attitudes towards mental illness in Makurdi metropolis

Abstract

The study examined the influence of demographic factors on adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes towards mental illness in Makurdi. A total of 378 respondents were sampled from five secondary schools in Makurdi, out of which 216 (51.7%) were males and 162 (42.9%) were females. The respondents were in the age range of 12-24 years with a mean age of 12.3 years. Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS) and Attitudes towards Mental Illness Scale (AMIS) were used for data collection. Five hypotheses were tested using Multivariate Analysis (MANOVA). There was no significant sex difference in adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes towards mental illness in Makurdi. There was no significant age difference in adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes towards mental illness in Makurdi. There was a significant ethnic difference in adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes towards mental illness in Makurdi. There was a significant religious difference in adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes towards mental illness in Makurdi. Lastly, there was no significant joint influence of sex, age, ethnicity and religion on adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes towards mental illness in Makurdi. Based on these findings, it was recommended among other things that governments at federal, state and local government levels through ministries and departments of health, should employ more Community Health and Extension Workers (CHEWs) to educate adolescents on mental illness in the communities.