Health Seeking Behavior of Family Members of Mentally Ill Patients

Abstract

Background: Globally mental health problems are serious public health concern. In south Asian  country, very few patients with psychiatric disorder seek the treatment from mental health professionals.  So, this study aims to find out the knowledge, perception and health seeking behaviors of family  members of mentally ill patients attending the tertiary level hospital. 

Method: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in September 2018. Non probability  purposive sampling technique was adopted. Data was collected by using semi structured interview  questionnaire among 209 respondents attending in psychiatric OPD of Tribhuvan University Teaching  Hospital. Data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. 

Findings: All respondents had adequate knowledge and almost all (98.1%) respondents had positive  attitude toward mental illness. Regarding health seeking behaviors, only (11.5%) of the respondents  had taken their patient to psychiatrist at first visit due to family decision. Similarly, 37.8% and 97.1%  respondents had taken to psychiatrist at second and third visit respectively. Fifty six percent of the  respondents sought treatment within the six months of illness. There was significant association  between age, sex, types of family, level of education, and occupation with health seeking behaviors  at first visit. Along with this, occupation and duration of illness significantly associated in second and  third visit as p- value=<0.05. 

Conclusion: Respondents had adequate knowledge and positive attitude toward mental illness, but they  sought help from non-psychiatric facilities at first visit and found increasing trend to visit psychiatrist  at second and third visit.