Perceptions, attitudes and cultural understandings of mentalhealth in Nigeria: a scoping review of published literature
2020
Mental health is a public health challenge with lack of understanding, great institutional neglect
and widespread stigma in Nigeria. There is also a dearth of secondary review studies exploring
knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards persons with mental health disorders in Nigeria.
The aim of this scoping review was to explore the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of
Nigerians towards mental health issues. Sixty-four articles were identified as meeting the
eligibility criteria. The most common determinants of mental health disorders as perceived by
Nigerians were supernatural causes such as possession of evil spirits, sorcery, witchcraft, and
divine punishment. In addition, a significant number of articles attributed the cause to drug or
alcohol misuse. Social distancing and avoidance were expressed in all papers that looked at
attitudes towards people with mental disorders. The research showed that Nigerians held
supernatural belief as the cause of mental disorders and religion is a significant cultural aspect
for Nigerians. Therefore, collaboration with religious and traditional institutions could help
improve knowledge and awareness. Further qualitative studies are needed to explore the lived
experiences of Nigerians particularly, in the northern regions of the country.
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