ILLNESS PERCEPTION AND RELIGIOSITY ON DIABETIC PATIENTS’ MENTAL HEALTH IN CAPE COAST METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT In contemporary Ghana, several medical problems are being reported at the general hospitals and clinics for treatment. Most of these medical problems are accompanied by mental health problems. However, the mental health elements of the medical conditions are usually neglected though researches have demonstrated that the associated mental health problems can influence the prognosis and the course of such illnesses. This study sought to explore the relationships that exist between patients’ illness perception, religiosity and their mental health. The target population of the study was all diabetic patients attending a health facility numbering 250, seeking treatment for diabetes in the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region of Ghana. A sample size of 103 diabetic patients from 250 patients was selected through the convenience sampling technique from the population. Descriptive survey design involving the quantitative approach was used in the study. Quantitative data were gathered through questionnaires and were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages, means and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation and independent sample t-test). The study revealed that, generally, diabetic patients’ in the metropolis have a high level of religiosity. Again, result indicated that there was a negative correlation between diabetic patients’ religiosity and their mental health (r=-.286**, n=103, p