SOCIOCULTURAL BELIEFS AND TREATMENT ACCEPTANCE

The beliefs of patients attending walk-in clinic and outpatient section, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bangalore were studied separately. The Walk-in Clinic and Outpatient population were divided into three groups by systematic randomization. The beliefs of Group I, Hand III were left untouched, contradicted and supported respectively. The follow up attendance pattern of the patients was taken as an indicator of treatment acceptance and according to the regularity of follow up in each group patients were categorised as good, fair and poor attenders. The significance of these findings is discussed and it is inferred that supporting scientifically tenable beliefs and keeping a neutral attitude towards unscientific beliefs may be the best policy for a clinician.