Prevalence of Myths and Cultural Misconceptions about Mental Illness among Family Caregivers: A Cross-Sectional Study
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Objective: Mental illness remains stigmatized; myths and culturally rooted misconceptions may delay care. This study assessed the prevalence of such beliefs among family caregivers in Kirkuk, Iraq, and examined links with sociodemographic factors.
Methods and Materials: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the psychiatric outpatient department of Azadi Teaching Hospital, November 2024–January 2025. A convenience sample of 170 family caregivers completed a sociodemographic form and a 29-item scale (20 myths and nine misconception items). Content validity was established by expert review; Cronbach’s alpha was 0.82. Data were analyzed in SPSS 26 using descriptive statistics, one-sample t-tests (test values: 60 for myths, 27 for misconceptions), and Pearson correlations with gender, education, income, and occupation.
Findings: Participants were mainly female (57.1%), married (76.5%), and urban residents. The mean myths score was 51.60 (SD = 12.54), significantly below the test value (p < 0.001), suggesting partial rejection of several stereotypes. The mean cultural misconceptions score was 28.26 (SD = 8.38), slightly above the test value (p = 0.052), indicating persistence of beliefs in supernatural causes and spiritual treatments. Education showed a significant negative correlation with misconceptions (r = –0.254, p = 0.001); no significant associations emerged for myths.
Conclusion: Myths and cultural misconceptions about mental illness remain common among Iraqi family caregivers, particularly those with lower levels of education. Culturally sensitive psychoeducation targeting caregivers is recommended to reduce stigma and support timely use of mental health services.
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