Access to health care in African cities: therapeutic pathways of city dwellers with mental health problems in Yaoundé – Cameroon

ABSTRACT

There is growing evidence that mental health literacy has improved worldwide in recent years. Despite the high prevalence of mental health problems and disorders, patients mostly in developing societies do not have quick access to adequate treatment. The question arises as to when and where people with mental problems seek help. Objectives: This paper aims at tracing the help-seeking pathways of mental patients, and to identify institutions where people with mental disorders look for help. Data used in this study derived from a longitudinal population survey conducted in urban settings of Cameroon in 2015 and 2017. Using structured questionnaires, the survey assessed socio-demographic details of patients, details of illness, and the various treatment facilities contacted by the patient. Findings indicate that (i) a wide range of treatment options used by the patients vary from no treatment (02.4%) to professional care (34.8%) and faith healers (10.2%); (ii) availability and ease of accessibility (06.9%), recommendations from others, and belief in supernatural causation of illness (29.0%) were the most important reasons for resorting to a particular facility. The emerging pathways to psychiatric care underline the importance of improving awareness through campaigns that will facilitate the recognition of psychiatric disorders, and that family members have a significant role in the decision to seek help from health services.

KEYWORDS:

• Mental illnesses
• therapeutic pathways
• psychiatric health care
• urban areas
• Cameroon
• Yaoundé

This article is related to:

Research for city practice

Disclosure statement

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

H. Blaise Nguendo-Yongsi

Pr. H. Blaise Nguendo-Yongsi graduated from the University of Paris X-Nanterre (France) with a PhD degree in health geography. He then joined the Center of Aging studies of the University of Montreal as Fellow Reseracher, and later the University of Chicoutimi-Canada as Associate Professor in Epidemiology. He is currently Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Institute for Population Studies (IFORD/University of Yaoundé II) and at the School of Health Sciences (Catholic University of Central Africa). His work involves an integrative understanding of the broad determinants of population health and research on built/natural environment and health linkages within urban settings. He is the President of the International Society of Urban Health (ISUH).