A Study to Assess the Knowledge on Mental Illness

Abstract

Mental illness is a significant contributor to world disease burden, and this is expected to enhance over the coming decades. Worldwide educational campaigns need to be implemented across the region, designed to both enhance knowledge about mental illness and reduce discrimination towards persons suffering with mental illness. Aim: This article focuses on the estimation of knowledge on mental illness. Methods: Non-experimental descriptive research design was selected for the present study. Random sampling technique was used to select 30 samples from Allinayakanpalayam village at Namakkal. Self-evaluated rating scale was used to assess the knowledge on mental illness. Results: Most of the subjects had inadequate knowledge on mental illness. The estimated mean score of the knowledge was 26+4.63. No significant association was found between knowledge scores and age, gender, education, religion, occupation.