Public Perceptions And Beliefs About Mental Health And Well-Being

Abstract

Mental health is a critical aspect of an individual well-being and quality of life. Attitude and beliefs towards mental well-being are shaped through personal knowledge, interaction with mentally ill persons and cultural stereotypes. Globally, mental health issues are rising and are considered as a neglected area in many developing countries, affecting behaviour and thinking patterns. The aim of the study was to understand the perception, knowledge and beliefs of individuals to overcome the stigmatized attitudes towards mental health issues and help-seeking behaviour. Mix-method study was used for the validation of the quantitative results by the qualitative data. The study was conducted in the city Faisalabad and two administrative towns were selected randomly. A randomly selected sample of 196 adult population had been drawn by using sample size calculator (www.surveysystem.com) at 7% confidence interval. Interview schedule was used to serve as the tool to get public perception in a face-to-face survey. Purposive sampling was used for Focus Group Discussion to get data from the people who are already suffering from mental health issues i.e., patients. Quantitative data was analysed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) whereas the responses obtained from focus group were analysed thematically. The socio-demographic were used as attributes of the respondent’s independent variables, linked with the beliefs and perception of individuals. Demonstrating statistically significant associations of belief with variables such as employment status, marital status, and income level. Additionally, the study found a significant relationship between perceptions about mental health to respondents' age, gender, employment status, and income level. Qualitative analysis exhibits that the people had knowledge and know the importance of mental health but they feel hesitant in seeking help as the stigma still prevails in our society. Govt should conduct awareness campaigns with the help of small group of volunteers to visit the small congested area to guide the common person who are illiterate and far away from social media and also use the electronic and social media to target more and more audience through public service messages on the importance of mental health.