Evaluation of the effect of mental health training of primary health care workers on attitudes towards mental illness

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization (WHO) set a target of task shifting as a means of achieving improved mental health services within the community as a means of tackling the unmet needs of mental health care. Primary health care workers (PHCWs) have been identified as essential to achieving this goal. OBJECTIVES: This study was to identify attitudes and beliefs of PHCWs on mental illness, and to assess the effect of a mental health training on these attitudes and beliefs. METHODS: The attitude towards mental illness (ASMI) scale was administered on 91 PHCWs pre- and post- a 4 day training on mental health to assess change in attitude across 6 domains. RESULTS: Our findings revealed significant positive change in four domains, namely separatism (p = < 0.001), restrictiveness (p = < 0.001), benevolence (p = p =< 0.001) and stigmatization (p = < 0.001). The changes in stereotyping (p = 0.475) and pessimistic prediction (p = 0.056) domains were not clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Primary health care workers’ negative attitude and stigmatizing beliefs can be improved upon via regular enlightenment programmes and training. This can be done at regular intervals