Health workers’ attitude towards children and adolescents with mental illness in a teaching hospital in north-central Nigeria

Objective: Public stigma against mental illness is well studied. However, there is a dearth of research into health workers’ attitude towards children and adolescents with mental illness, especially in lowand middle income countries such Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 395 health workers in a Teaching Hospital in North-Central Nigeria. Participants were selected by random sampling from clinical and non-clinical departments. Participants completed questionnaires to assess stigma, knowledge, personal contact, previous training, and exposure to religious teaching on child and adolescent mental illness (CAMI).Results: The response rate was 90%. Many health workers (42%) indicated that affected children should not play with other children, 38% would feel ashamed if a child in their family had mental illness, 42% would be concerned if their child sat with an affected child, and 27% would be afraid to speak to a child or adolescent with mental illness. Independent predictors of negative attitudes were: poor knowledge, exposure to religious teaching that affected children are possessed or dangerous, and being from a non-medical professional group.Conclusion: CAMI is stigmatised by health workers in this specialist Hospital in Nigeria. Urgent intervention is required to avoid adverse impact on affected children

Association between the types of offence, demographic profile, and level of intoxication among substance abusing violent offenders in a Nigerian prison

The association between substance use and criminality can be deduced from the acknowledgment of the increase of what are commonly called drug-defined offences, and those offences committed while under the influence of drug and/or alcohol. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of substance use disorder, the relationship between type of crime and demographic profile, and the relationship between offence committed and degree of intoxication with alcohol and illegal drugs at the time of crime among convicted and awaiting trial violent offenders. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 432 male inmates either convicted or awaiting trial in Jos maximum security prison, Plateau state. They completed a pro forma questionnaire containing their demographic and forensic profiles. They were screened with self-administered General Health Questionnaire item 28 and interviewed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview questionnaire. The prevalence of substance use disorder was 54% (233). A significant correlation was found between type of offence committed and intoxication with substance at the time of crime (odds ratio = 0.3003; P= 0.001). High prevalence of substance use disorder was found among violent offenders in the prison

Prevalence and Psychosocial Consequences of Rape in Jos, North–Central Nigeria

Background: Rape is common throughout the world. It is often under-reported by victims and their families for fear of social stigma and cultural sanctions. Several studies have revealed that majority of rape victims are females, with males being the most perpetrators.Objectives: The study was aimed at determining the prevalence of rape and to examine the psychological and social consequences as well as responses to rape by the victim, the family and society.Methods and Materials: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 284 respondents from 4 communities in Jos, Plateau State Capital, Nigeria. A semi-structured socio-demographic questionnaire was used to collect participants’ socio-demographic data while a questionnaire on rape designed by the authors was used to enquire about rape and other associated factors. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) questionnaire was used to determine the psychological consequences of rape.Results: The result revealed a rape prevalence of 31.0% (28.2% in females and 2.8% among males). Rape was statistically associated with young victims (P<0.001). Majority (59.1%) of the victims were raped before 16 years of age. Rape by neighbors/family friends accounted for 50% of all cases involving female victims while that by strangers was 15%. A large proportion (63,6%) of the victims were raped once, 13.6% were raped more than thrice. All female victims were raped through the vagina (81.2% with penis and 18.8% by fingering). The male victims were raped with penis through anal orifice. Only 9.2% were gang raped. About two-thirds of the victims did not report to anyone, but, 36.4% did so. As high as 49.8% of the respondents believed there was no justification for anyone to rape another person just as others cited seductive dressing, substance abuse, and moral decadence as factors that contribute to the offence. Negative psychological and social consequences such as depression, anxiety, post –traumatic stress disorder, social isolation, loss of trust etc were found to be associated with rape. Conclusion: The study showed that rape is a serious problem in our community and therefore urgent measures must be put in place to deal with its increasing prevalence and consequences

Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of postpartum depression among women attending Postnatal and/or Children's Welfare Clinics in a Tertiary Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is of public health importance. Estimation of it occurrence in other parts of the developed world showed prevalence rates of approximately 10%–25%. Previous prevalence studies in crisis-ridden areas showed prevalence rates ranging from 28% to 58%. However, since the entrenchment of relative peace in Jos, Nigeria there has not been any other study to the best of the authors' knowledge. Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of PPD in a postethno-religious crisis period among women attending the Postnatal and Children's welfare clinic in a tertiary hospital, Jos, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: In total, 550 women were recruited in a cross-sectional study that involved a two-stage procedure in a Tertiary Hospital in Jos, Nigeria. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale questionnaire and the Depression Module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis I Diagnosis were used. Results: A weighted prevalence of 21.8% of PPD was found among the participants. Age (P< 0.001), marital status (P< 0.001), types of marriage (P< 0.001), and educational level (P< 0.001) were significantly associated with PPD. Conclusions: PPD was found in about a quarter of the studied sample in the postcrisis period. Therefore, screening of women in the postpartum period for depression will help in early detection and treatment of women of childbearing age