Community perceptions with regard to mental illness in urban, rural, and tribal areas in Mysuru

Background: Mental illness is multifactorial in its occurrence varying from place to place, thereby listing different opinions among communities. Religious, cultural beliefs play an important role in the perception of mental illness. This study aims to understand the community perceptions of urban, rural, and tribal areas and associate with sociodemographic factors. Aims: (1) To explore the knowledge, attitude, cultural beliefs, and practices with regard to mental illness among urban, rural, and tribal population of Mysuru. (2) To compare the knowledge, attitude, cultural beliefs, and practices with regard to mental illness among urban, rural and tribal population of Mysuru. Materials and Methods: Study design: It was a cross-sectional study conducted between January 2021 and March 2021 in urban (n = 100), Rural (n = 100), and Tribal (n = 100) field practise areas in Mysuru district among participants aged >18 years. A semi-structured questionnaire regarding their attitude, beliefs, and understanding about mental illness was drafted, and data were obtained from participants after taking their informed consent. Ethical clearance was obtained from the institute. Statistics: Chi-square analysis was done to see the association between sociodemographic variables and perceptions. Results: Participants held different opinions across three different zones. A significant association was seen between their age, place, education, occupation, and type of family with their perception about mental illness. Conclusion: We can conclude that age, place, education, and occupation play an important role in the varied perception regarding mental illness. Continuous and focused interventions have to be done among the community for a positive acceptance and reducing stigma toward mental illness.