Perceptions of Mental Disorders in the Context of Social Change: Correlates and Implications for Socio-Medical Behavior

Abstract

Using data from a sample survey undertaken in 1982, this study examines the perceptions and attitudes of 1000 women in Accra toward mental disorders. The majority of the women in the sample perceive the causes of mental disorders to be stress-related, though some serious mental disorders are still thought to be of supernatural origin. The implications of such perceptions for an effective integration of mental health care into primary health services are discussed.