Inter-Relationships of Beliefs About Mental Illness, Psychiatric Diagnoses and Mental Health Care Delivery Among Africans

A survey of 50 male and 50 female (N = 100) psychiatric outpatients of Lagos University Teaching Hospital was carried out. DSM III diagnoses of patients was determined from the case notes. Sociodemographic data were also recorded. Findings were analysed for inter-relationships of diagnoses, sociodemographic data and three belief categories (medical, psychosocial and supernatural). The expected predominance of supernatural beliefs was absent; psychosocial responses were greater than the supernatural. There was no relationship between psychoses and supernatural belief types.