Evaluation of Knowledge and Attitude toward Mental Illness among Rural Adults: A Correlation Study

Introduction: Mental illness has always been associated with ignorance and superstitions. Although mental illness is a global health issue, the world community has little knowledge about mental disorders. Improving the knowledge and attitude of the global population is vital to reduce stigma and various other key concerns related to mental illness. The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge and attitude regarding mental illness among adults in a rural area of Dehradun. Methodology: The present study was conducted with a quantitative descriptive approach. The study was conducted at Mothrowala community, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The population of the current study comprised 100 adults, both males and females, who are at the age group of 20–30 years, from the selected rural community. The participants were selected by nonprobability purposive sampling technique for this study. A self-structured questionnaire on the demographic profile, knowledge, and attitude about mental illness was distributed. Results: The study revealed that nearly two-third adults had moderately adequate knowledge. The majority of participants (95%) have a positive attitude toward mental illness. This study also revealed that there was a significant positive correlation (p-value-0.0001) between knowledge and attitude of adults toward mental illness. Likewise, there was a significant association between the marital status and knowledge of adults, whereas levels of attitude have a significant association with educational status, religion, and sensitization program. Conclusion: Findings of this research study suggested that knowledge and attitude of rural adults have a significant correlation regarding mental illness. In addition, knowledge and attitudes of the community are partially associated with their selected demographic variables. Furthermore, adequate knowledge and positive attitude are key for mentally healthy communities.