CONTEXT: Studies on knowledge and risk behaviors related to HIV/AIDS reported from developed countries have shown that people with psychiatric disorders constitute a special risk group. In Nigeria, although similar studies have been conducted on various population groups, there has, so far, been no reported study on people suffering from psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE: The present study set out to compare knowledge, attitudes, and risk behaviors related to HIV/AIDS among schizophrenic patients and diabetic patients. METHOD: Ninety-eight consecutive schizophrenic patients attending the outpatient clinics of a psychiatric hospital over a period of 8 weeks completed an interviewer's administered questionnaire. The interview covered demographics, risk behaviors, knowledge related to HIV/AIDS, and patients' attitudes toward people infected with HIV/AIDS. Their responses were compared with those of 56 diabetic patients who were similarly interviewed in a teaching hospital. RESULTS: Compared with the diabetic patients, the schizophrenic patients were significantly less sexually active in the previous 12 months (P < .05). They had more misconceptions about HIV/AIDS and were less tolerant towards people living with HIV/AIDS compared with the diabetic patients. They were also more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. CONCLUSION: Mental health providers rarely educate psychiatric patients about HIV/AIDS and should be more involved in doing so. Despite being less sexually active, patients with schizophrenia engaged in risk behaviors as did the diabetic patients.
CONTEXT: Studies on knowledge and risk behaviors related to HIV/AIDS reported from developed countries have shown that people with psychiatric disorders constitute a special risk group. In Nigeria, although similar studies have been conducted on various population groups, there has, so far, been no reported study on people suffering from psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE: The present study set out to compare knowledge, attitudes, and risk behaviors related to HIV/AIDS among schizophrenicpatients and diabeticpatients. METHOD: Ninety-eight consecutive schizophrenicpatients attending the outpatient clinics of a psychiatric hospital over a period of 8 weeks completed an interviewer's administered questionnaire. The interview covered demographics, risk behaviors, knowledge related to HIV/AIDS, and patients' attitudes toward people infected with HIV/AIDS. Their responses were compared with those of 56 diabeticpatients who were similarly interviewed in a teaching hospital. RESULTS: Compared with the diabeticpatients, the schizophrenicpatients were significantly less sexually active in the previous 12 months (P < .05). They had more misconceptions about HIV/AIDS and were less tolerant towards people living with HIV/AIDS compared with the diabeticpatients. They were also more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. CONCLUSION: Mental health providers rarely educate psychiatricpatients about HIV/AIDS and should be more involved in doing so. Despite being less sexually active, patients with schizophrenia engaged in risk behaviors as did the diabeticpatients.
Authors: S Morio; K Soda; K Tajima; H B Leng; K Kitamura; S Mizushima; K Ohshige; F Tan; A Suyama; H Sopheab; T Phalla Journal: J Epidemiol Date: 1999-06 Impact factor: 3.211
Authors: J A Kelly; D A Murphy; G R Bahr; T L Brasfield; D R Davis; A C Hauth; M G Morgan; L Y Stevenson; M K Eilers Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 1992-07 Impact factor: 18.112
Authors: Ana Paula Souto Melo; Cibele Comini César; Francisco de Assis Acurcio; Lorenza Nogueira Campos; Maria das Graças Braga Ceccato; Milton L Wainberg; Karen McKinnon; Mark Drew Crosland Guimarães Journal: Community Ment Health J Date: 2010-03-30
Authors: Patric Lundberg; Noeline Nakasujja; Seggane Musisi; Anna Ekéus Thorson; Elizabeth Cantor-Graae; Peter Allebeck Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2015-04-16 Impact factor: 9.308