Perception regarding the causes of schizophrenia and associated factors among Feresbet district residents: a community based study

BACKGROUND: A wide variety of beliefs exist in the public towards schizophrenia. Community perception about the causes of schizophrenia can affect the way of seeking help, treatment outcomes, and community integration of individuals with schizophrenia. Therefore, assessing the community perception and associated factors about the causes of schizophrenia is vital. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Feresbet district residents through a multi- stage sampling technique. A causal model questionnaire for schizophrenia (CMQS) was used to assess the perceived causes of schizophrenia. The collected data were explored to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bi-variable and multi variable logistic regression were computed to identify factors associated with the traditional perception about the causes of schizophrenia and the level of significance were determined at a P- value < 0.05 with 95% CI. RESULTS: Out of the total study participants, about 73.7% had the traditional perception regarding the causes of schizophrenia. According to multivariate analysis, female sex, no formal education, age ≥ 25 years, living in the extended family system, and being unemployed had a significant association with the traditional perception of the cause of schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS: The traditional perception of the cause of schizophrenia is higher than the bio-psycho-social view. Female sex, no formal education, age ≥ 25 years, living in an extended families and unemployed had a significant association with the traditional perception of the causes of schizophrenia. Therefore, giving special attention to females, uneducated and unemployed individual is crucial. In addition, older age and individuals living in extended family system need attention regarding the possible causes of schizophrenia. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6678-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.