Perceptions and Experiences of Human Rights Violations of People Living with Mental Illness: A Multi-Centre Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the perceptions and experiences of human rights violations among individuals with mental illness. A descriptive cross-sectional study of four mental health facilities in the southwest and northcentral zones in Nigeria was conducted. Data were collected from 227 randomly selected and consecutive patients with various mental disorders using a researcher-constructed questionnaire. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 was used for data analysis. The participants were predominantly low- or no-income young males aged between 18 and 74 years old (mean age: 32±9.86 years). The majority were single and Christian, and over 80% were male. Patients’ diagnoses were largely mood disorders (29.1%), psychotic disorders (17.0%), and trauma disorders (13.2%), relatively recently diagnosed, ≤5 years (61.7%). The respondents had a good awareness of their basic human rights (mean: 3.4 – 3.7; with a mean of 2.5 as good perception), with over half of the individuals having an excellent perception. On average, 16.2% of the patients reported having experienced human rights violations in the past (range: 6.2 – 21.1%), mostly from informal safety networks (friends and family), residential arrangements, and job losses or denial. The study found a statistically significant correlation between the patients’ diagnoses and the degree of human rights violations experienced (_p-value_ < 0.05). Overall, the study suggests that individuals with mental illness have a clear understanding of their rights and the ways in which they are violated.