ArticleBJPsych open2025
Beliefs about the causes and treatment of common mental illnesses and suicidality in rural Uganda.
Article in BJPsych open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Perspectives of Traditional Healers, Religious Leaders, and Biomedical Providers on Depression and HIV Care in Rural Uganda.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Pathways to suicide attempts in rural Uganda: a qualitative study of survivors, family members, and healthcare providers, and community health workers.International journal of mental health · 2026Article
- District health management teams as champions for implementing the WHO LIVE LIFE suicide-prevention framework in Rural Uganda: a pre-implementation qualitative study.Implementation science communications · 2026Article
- Psychosocial stressors related to extreme weather events and multiple resource insecurities: qualitative insights from refugee youth in an Ugandan humanitarian setting.SSM. Mental health · 2026Article
- Experienced Stigma Related to Common Mental Illness and Alcohol Use Disorder in Rural Uganda: A Qualitative Study.SSM. Mental health · 2026Article
- Correlates of mental health stigma in the Buyende district of Eastern Uganda.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2026Article
- Experiences of adults who survived suicide attempts in rural Uganda: Stigma, support systems and reintegration.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2026Article
- Law enforcement responses to mental illness in rural Uganda: A qualitative study of practices, challenges, and opportunities for training.PLOS mental health · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundMental illnesses constitute a large and escalating portion of the global burden of disease, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Uganda. Understanding community perceptions towards mental illness is crucial for developing effective interventions.
aimsTo explore beliefs about the perceived causes and treatment of common mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, alcohol use disorder) and suicidality in rural eastern Uganda.
methodQualitative study using 31 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions with healthcare workers, community health workers, community leaders and general community members in Buyende District, Uganda. Vignettes were used to depict mental illnesses to elicit perceptions, and data were analysed using the framework method.
resultsTwo main themes emerged: perceived causes and treatment of mental illness. Participants identified three primary perceived causes: psychosocial (predominantly financial stress), biological and supernatural. Community support was most frequently endorsed as a perceived effective treatment, followed by biomedical interventions and alternative therapies.
conclusionsThis study identifies common beliefs regarding the causes and perceptions of mental illness in rural Uganda. The predominant focus on financial stressors as a cause of mental illness, coupled with strong emphasis and belief in the effectiveness of community-based support as treatment, highlights the need for context-specific mental health interventions.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.