title: Causal attribution of mental illness in South-Eastern Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Understanding of mental illness in sub-Saharan Africa has remained under-researched in spite of the high and increasing neuropsychiatric burden of disease in the region.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the causal beliefs that the Igbo people of south-eastern Nigeria hold about schizophrenia, with a view to establishing the extent to which the population makes psychosocial, biological and supernatural attributions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multi-stage sampling was used to select participants (N = 200) to which questionnaires were administered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean comparison of the three causal models revealed a significant endorsement of supernatural causation. Logistic regressions revealed significant contributions of old age and female gender to supernatural attribution; old age, high education and Catholic religious denomination to psychosocial attributions; and high education to biological attributions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is hoped that the findings would enlighten, augment literature and enhance mental health care service delivery.
authors.affiliation: 1University of Wolverhampton, UK.
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ikwuka
authors.forename: Niall
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Galbraith
authors.forename: Lovemore
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nyatanga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception; D013483:Superstitions / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attribution; biological; biopsychosocial; psychosocial; supernatural