International Journal of Mental Health Systems

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Open Access Research

Public perception of mental health in Iraq

Sabah Sadik1†, Marie Bradley2†, Saad Al-Hasoon1† and Rachel Jenkins3*†

  • * Corresponding author: Rachel Jenkins rachel@olan.org

  • † Equal contributors

Author Affiliations

1 Department of Psychiatry, International Medical Corps Iraq, Hai AlWahda, Mahla M904, Baghdad, Iraq

2 Department of Adult Psychiatry, Leicestershire Mental Health Trust, Westcotes House, Westcotes Drive, Leicester, UK

3 Department of Health Services and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK

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International Journal of Mental Health Systems 2010, 4:26 doi:10.1186/1752-4458-4-26

Published: 11 October 2010

Abstract

Background

People who suffer from mental illness, the professionals who treat them, and indeed the actual concept of mental illness are all stigmatised in public perception and often receive very negative publicity. This paper looks at Iraq, which has a population of 30 million who are mainly Moslem. Mental health services and professionals have historically been sparse in Iraq with 1 psychiatrist per 300,000 before 2003 falling to 1 per million until recently and 1 primary care centre (40 Healthcare Workers including 4 General Practitioners) to 35,000 population, compared with 1 GP per 1700 population in the UK.

Methods

We aimed to assess public attitudes and perceptions to mental illness. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire (additional file 1), which was designed specifically for Iraqi contexts and was made available in 2 languages. The survey was carried out in 500 participants' homes across 2 districts of Baghdad.

Additional file 1. Public Perception of Mental Illness Questionnaire.

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Results

The response rate of the survey was 86.4%. The paper shows respondents views on the aetiology of mental illness, perceptions of people with mental illness and attitudes towards care and treatment of people with mental illness.

Conclusions

This survey of public attitudes towards mental illness in Iraq has shown that community opinion about the aetiology of mental illness is broadly compatible with scientific evidence, but understanding of the nature of mental illness, its implications for social participation and management remains negative in general.