Abstract

BACKGROUND: The first line of care is a paramount stage in the management of the mentally ill persons. In Nigeria, traditional and faith-based healers compete with medical professionals in providing care.
AIM: To determine the pathway to care among patients with Mental Illness at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The characteristics of the patients and their pathways to care were assessed using a questionnaire specifically designed by the researchers, based on previous studies. A total of 270 participants were recruited over a three-month period using a convenience sampling technique. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. Chi-square tests were applied to examine associations, with significance set at P-values less than 0.05. Binary logistic regression was used to identify determinants of the pathway to care.
RESULTS: Few respondents (15.9%) had consulted a psychiatrist and that at least 3.6 (SD ± 6.0) non-medical healers were consulted before seeing a psychiatrist. There was a statistically significant association between the pathway to care and the level of education (p = 0.047), ethnicity (p = 0.001), religion (p < 0.001), diagnosis (p = 0.002), and family history of mental illness (p = 0.002). However, religion, family history of mental illness, and diagnosis emerged as determinants of the pathway to care.
CONCLUSION: The study found that the use of non- medical care was high among patients with mental illness. Religion, family history of mental illness, and diagnosis are determinants of the pathway to care.
Keywords: Pathway, Mental illness, care.

Key words: Pathway, Mental illness, care.