Attitude toward and knowledge about mental illness in Fiji islands

There is a dearth of information on the extent of knowledge about mental illness and attitudes toward the mentally ill in Fiji.

This study aimed to explore these aspects, and also to determine the factors influencing them.

Market vendors, peri-urban dwellers, white-collar and health workers from Greater Suva were interviewed. The interview schedule used elicited socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of, and attitudes toward, mental illness.

A majority of the subjects attributed the cause of mental illness to substance abuse, believed in the diversity of mental illness, considered hospital as an important source of help and acknowledged the effectiveness of medication. Less than one-fifth of the subjects were willing to marry or employ mentally ill persons. About 42% of the sample would be deterred by embarrassment from seeking help. Educational attainment was correlated with knowledge about mental illness, except with knowledge about early mental symptoms (p < 0.01). Prestigious occupation, single marital status, female gender, younger age and urban dwelling were associated with positive disposition toward the mentally ill (p < 0.01). Race was not significantly influential on almost all attitudinal variables.

Health education is capable of positively influencing knowledge about, and attitudes toward, mental illness in Fiji.