Influence of beliefs on help-seeking behaviour among caregivers of mental health patients in Gilgil Sub County hospital, Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of beliefs on help-seeking behaviour among caregivers of mental health patients in Gilgil Sub County Hospital, Nakuru County, Kenya. The study was based on the ex post facto design. The target population was 77 caregivers of mental health patients in Gilgil Sub County Hospital. Purposive and stratified sampling was used to select 66 respondents. The study utilized the semi-structured questionnaire for caregivers to collect data. A pilot study was carried out in Nakuru County Referral Hospital to ensure that the instrument was reliable and valid. A reliability coefficient of 0.78 was established using Cronbach alpha. The validity of the research instruments was also guaranteed by generating them in line with the research objective and consultation with the supervisors. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, which included mean, standard deviation, frequencies, percentages, and inferential statistics, which included correlation and regression analysis. Data was analyzed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. From the findings, the study concluded that the variance in help-seeking behaviour among caregivers of mental health patients in Gilgil Sub County Hospital. The most significant influence was explained by caregivers’ beliefs. The study recommends that the hospital should formulate programs for caregivers to overcome the psychosocial challenges that inhibit help-seeking behaviour. The study findings are expected to provide relevant information on the influence of psychosocial factors on help-seeking behaviours among caregivers of mental health patients.