Self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment

Figures & data

Table 1 Background characteristics of caregivers of people with mental illness in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, southwest Ethiopia, 2012

Characteristic	Frequency	Percent
Sex
Male	297	70.38
Female	125	29.62
Marital status
Single	105	24.88
Married	286	67.77
Divorced	14	3.32
Widowed	17	4.03
Religion
Muslim	266	63.03
Orthodox	104	24.64
Other (Protestant, catholic)	52	12.33
Ethnicity
Oromo	259	61.37
Amhara	66	15.64
Other (Keffa, Dawro, Gurage)	97	22.99
Educational status
Could not read and write	65	15.40
Read and write only	55	13.03
Elementary	112	26.54
Secondary	127	30.09
Higher education	63	14.93
Occupation
Farmer	153	36.26
Government employee	86	20.38
Private enterprise	79	18.72
Housewife	57	13.51
Student	34	8.06
Other (house maid and unemployed)	13	3.08
Setting
Rural	213	50.47
Urban	209	49.53
Relationship with the patients
Parent	106	25.12
Son/daughter	78	18.48
Brother	55	13.03
Spouse	51	12.09
Sister	18	4.27
Other relative	108	25.59
Non-relative	6	1.42
Living together with the patient in the same household
Yes	342	81.04
No	80	18.96

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

Table 3 Frequency distribution of items of self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, southwest Ethiopia, 2012

Item	Yes N (%)	No N (%)
You worried whether people would find out about (NAME)’s condition?	163 (38.63)	259 (61.37)
You worried that your neighbors would treat you differently?	148 (35.07)	274 (64.93)
You sometimes felt the need to hide (NAME)’s illness?	153 (36.26)	269 (63.74)
You kept (his/her) illness a secret?	153 (36.26)	269 (63.74)
You worried that friends and neighbors would avoid you after they found out about it?	125 (29.62)	297 (70.38)
You didn’t see some of your friends as often as you did before?	99 (23.46)	323 (76.54)
You avoided going to large social events with (NAME)?	153 (36.26)	269 (63.74)
You worried that even your best friends would treat you differently?	112 (26.54)	310 (73.46)
You felt ashamed or embarrassed about (NAME)’s illness?	156 (36.97)	266 (63.03)
Have you avoided making friends because you have a relative who is mentally ill living with you?	65 (15.40)	357 (84.60)
Do you feel that you are less responsible and caring than family/relatives without mental illness?	70 (16.59)	352 (83.41)
Do you feel that most people look down on you since you have a family member who is mentally ill?	113 (26.78)	309 (73.22)
Do you feel that most people treat families with a member who is mentally ill in the same way they treat other families?	113 (26.78)	309 (73.22)
You worried that most people blame parents for the mental illness of their children?	111 (26.30)	311 (73.70)
Have you ever avoided being a member of a social gathering because you have a family member with mental illness?	46 (10.90)	376 (89.10)

Table 4 Multivariate linear regression on the predictors of self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, southwest Ethiopia, 2012

Variable	Unadjusted β (standardized)	Adjusted β (standardized)
Urban	−0.10*	−0.07
Perceived signs of mental illness	0.18***	0.11
Perceived supernatural explanation of mental illness	0.26***	0.22***
Perceived psychosocial and biological explanation of mental illness	0.12*	0.06

Notes:

* P<0.05;

** P<0.01;

*** P<0.001.