WOMENS ORIENTATION TOWARD HELP-SEEKING FOR MENTAL-DISORDERS

Based on a sample survey of 1000 women in Accra Ghana, this study addr esses a number of individual, social and cultural factors that have be en found in previous research on diverse populations to be important d eterminants of treatment-seeking behavior. Bivariate analysis is used to identify those factors that are significantly related to orientatio n toward help-seeking for mental disorders (use of biomedical vs tradi tional services), and multivariate analysis is utilized to determine t he importance of each, and the effect of causal beliefs independent of sociodemographic factors. The results show that perceived cause of me ntal disorders, area of residence, age, ethnicity, membership in volun tary associations and prior contact with medical facilities or personn el are the most important determinants of the orientation toward help- seeking for mental disorders. The implications for an effective mental health care delivery system in Ghana are discussed. Also, suggestions for further research are made.