Table 2.
Awareness and beliefs about mental illness among caregivers of people with mental illness in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, southwest Ethiopia, 2012
| Variable | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure to mental illness information | ||
| Watched on TV | 94 | 22.27 |
| Heard on radio | 99 | 23.46 |
| Religious places | 14 | 3.32 |
| Other family member mentally ill | 71 | 16.82 |
| Perceived cause of mental illness | ||
| Stress | 338 | 80.09 |
| Rumination | 287 | 68.01 |
| Drug addiction | 178 | 42.18 |
| Poverty | 95 | 22.51 |
| God’s punishment | 68 | 16.11 |
| Evil spirit | 66 | 15.64 |
| Sinful act | 26 | 6.16 |
| Physical illness | 24 | 5.69 |
| Germs | 5 | 1.18 |
| Other | 16 | 3.79 |
| Perceived signs of mental illness | ||
| Sleep disturbance | 292 | 69.19 |
| Talking to oneself | 288 | 68.25 |
| Strange behavior | 267 | 63.27 |
| Aggression | 186 | 44.08 |
| Talking too much | 185 | 43.84 |
| Restlessness | 179 | 42.42 |
| Self-neglect | 140 | 33.18 |
| Suicidal attempt | 139 | 32.94 |
| Unable to learn | 35 | 8.29 |
| Shivering | 33 | 7.82 |
| Drug addiction | 29 | 6.87 |
| Other | 18 | 4.27 |
| Mental illness can be cured (yes) | 412 | 97.63 |