The study compared the degree of social distance towards the mentally ill between the public, health workers and relatives of the mentally ill at Madonna University Teaching Hospital, Elele, Rivers State of Nigeria. It took place within 10 months. Two hundred and sixty nine consenting subjects were enlisted in the study. However only 254 completed it comprising 110 relatives of the mentally ill, 47 health workers and 97 non-relatives (public). The modified Bogardus Social Distance Scale (MBSDS) and a self designed questionnaire containing socio-demographic and psychiatric illness variables were administered to each subject. The difference in mean MBSDS scores of the public and relatives of the mentally ill is statistically significant, while the difference in mean MBSDS scores of the public and health workers is not statistically significant. The greatest proportion of respondents (37%) attributed the cause of mentally illness to demonic possession. Stigma towards the mentally ill is not only an important global health concern, but it is a burning human right issue.

The study was designed to ascertain the socio-demographic profiles of patients suffering from co-morbid Alcohol Use Disorders and Depression, attending the General outpatient Clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Consenting subjects recruited by a systematic sampling procedure between February and July 2011 were enlisted in the study. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to each. Additional information was obtained through a self-designed socio-demographic questionnaire. Fifty nine (12.6%) of the cohort were diagnosed with Alcohol Use disorders (AUD), one hundred and thirty four (28.5%) with major depression and twenty seven (5.7%) with both AUD and major depression. The female and male genders were shown to be significantly associated with co-morbid depression and AUD respectively. The notion that women alcoholics are more vulnerable to drink in response to negative effect than male alcoholics may further explain the statistically significant higher prevalence of depression among females with AUD in comparison to males with the same co-morbidity. Formal education should be intensified in the developing world, and the need to protect the vulnerable segment of our population especially women cannot be overemphasized.

This prospective study was designed to identify if there is any relationship between socio-demographic variables and social distance towards the mentally ill. It was carried out at the Madonna University Teaching Hospital over a 10 month period. Two hundred and sixty nine consenting subjects were enlisted in the study. However, only 254 completed it. The 254 subjects comprise 87 males (34.3%) and 167 females (65.7%). The minimum MBSDS score of 7 and the maximum of 35 were recorded in the study. It was established that there is significant association between literacy and MBSDS score. Literate subjects showed lesser MBSDS score compared to illiterate ones. Younger patients (less than 45yrs old) showed higher MBSDS scores on the average compared with older patients. The cause, management and eventual outcome of a patient's mental illness are greatly hampered by social stigma. Sustained public education and sustained advocacy against stigma towards the mentally ill cannot be overemphasized.

Introduction: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by difficulties in social communication and interaction, repetitive patterns of behaviour and focused interests and activities. Medical social workers and Clinical psychologists play vital roles in identifying and supporting autistic children with their families. They may help with therapy, rehabilitation, crisis interventions and outreach services. Adequate knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) among Medical social workers and Clinical psychologists may enhance early recognition, diagnosis, appropriate referral and interventions that are known to improve prognosis in autistic children. This study determined Medical social workers’ and Clinical psychologists’ understanding of ASD. Materials and methods: Socio-demographic and Knowledge About Childhood Autism among Health Workers (KCAHW) questionnaires were administered to consenting 63 Medical social workers and 35 Clinical psychologists. Results: Sixty-three Medical Social workers and 35 Clinical psychologists participated in the study. The mean age of Medical social workers was 42.1 ± 8.6 years and 41.0 ± 8.9 years for Clinical psychologists (P = 0.525). Clinical psychologists who were males were 42.9% and 41.3% were male Medical social workers (P = 0.879). Medical social workers who have ever managed a child with autism in the course of their career were 42.9% while Clinical psychologists were 40.0% (P = 0.784). The mean knowledge score for variables in domain 1 for Clinical psychologists was 6.34 ± 1.78 while Medical social workers scored 5.40 ± 2.30 (P = 0.038). The score in domain 2 for Clinical psychologists was 0.91 ± 0.28 while Medical social workers scored 0.71 ± 0.46 (P = 0.009). The mean total score for Clinical psychologists was13.00 ± 2.86 whereas Medical social workers scored 11.51 ± 3.43 (P = 0.031). Conclusion: Clinical psychologists significantly scored higher than Medical social workers in knowledge mean scores in domains 1 and 2 and total mean scores. The scores of Clinical Psychologists though higher than scores by Medical social workers are still considered inadequate. It is recommended that the training curriculum of Medical social workers and Clinical psychologists should involve more tutorials, teachings and clinical rotations that would expose them to different aspects of ASD.