Socio-Demographic Correlates of Stigmatization of Psychiatric Patients Among Health Care Workers in Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the socio-demographic correlates of stigmatization of psychiatric patients among health care workers in neuropsychiatric hospital, Enugu. Eight objectives with corresponding research questions and seven hypotheses were postulated to guide the study. A descriptive correlational survey research design was employed for the study. The instrument for data collection was the researcher-designed questionnaire titled socio- demographic correlates of stigmatization of psychiatric patients’ questionnaire, (SODCOSPQ).Three of the experts were drawn from the Department of Health and Physical Education, and two from the Department of Psychology for face validation. The population of the study was 210 health care workers (HCWs). They were all involved in the study. This was because the population was manageable. A total of two hundred and ten copies of the questionnaire were distributed and one hundred and seventy nine copies were properly completed and used for the study. Cronbach Alpha was used for test of reliability. The research question one was answered using a criterion mean. The relationship of HCW’s variables against the psychiatric patient was analyzed applying Pearson’s Product Moment Co-efficient. Wilson (1989) principle for interpretation of value ‘r’ was employed for the research questions of two to eight, and linear regression was used for testing of the null hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The result of the study showed that HCWs stigmatization status of psychiatric patients was negative (grand = 2.40 < 2.50, SD = .845) Table 1. The result further showed that the correlation between HCWs’ age, religious denomination, and level of education, gender, specialization, marital status, rank, and stigmatization of psychiatric patients indicated very low correlation respectively. The linear regression test for the hypotheses indicated that there were no significant relationship between HCWs’ religious denomination, level of education, gender, specialization, marital status, and stigmatization of psychiatric patients. However, this test revealed that significant relationship exists between HCW’s age, rank and stigmatization of the psychiatric patients.