Authors: Marthoenis Marthoenis, Rizki Fitryasari, Martina Martina, Husna Hidayati, Hasmila Sari, Sri Warsini
This study explores Community Health Workers’ (CHWs) experiences and views on mental illness. Conducted among 487 CHWs, it assessed their general and religious perceptions, causes, treatment beliefs, and expectations for mental health care. Most CHWs felt their role improved their communication skills (90.4%), relationships with health center staff (84.8%), self-confidence (84.6%), and ability to identify mental disorders (77%). Many CHWs view their colleagues as an extended family. Some CHWs linked mental illness to religious factors, with 19.5% attributing it to lack of worship and 3.5% to witchcraft. Regarding treatment, 14.2% believed in Ruqyah, 6.4% in religious scholars, and another 6.4% thought no treatment was needed. Overall, CHWs see their role positively, emphasizing the importance of compassion and strong community bonds in addressing mental health.
Link: The community health worker experience and perception toward mental illness: A multi-settings cross-sectional study in Indonesia
Resource Topic: Mental health
Resource Type: Cross-sectional mixed methods
Year: 2024
Region:
Country: Indonesia
Publisher May Restrict Access: Yes