Journals Information
Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 13(1), pp. 267 - 276
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130127
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Beliefs and Attitudes toward Mental Health Post-COVID-19 Lockdown among Adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Geonel Moluba *, Cedric Harville II , Xin Huaibo , Alice Ma
Department of Public Health, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, United States
ABSTRACT
Understanding the perception of mental illness is important to implement interventions to reduce stigma, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In the DRC, attitudes and behaviors toward mental health tend to be shaped by cultural and spiritual beliefs. In this study, we examined the attitude and perception of mental illness and explored its relationship with depression and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was a cross-sectional study that used snowball sampling. A total of 267 participants completed an online survey, where 87% of the participants agreed that mental illness is a disease, 90% agreed that mental illness can be cured, while 57% agreed that mental illness has biological roots. In addition, 14% agreed that mental illness is caused by someone putting a spell on you, 80% agreed that mental illness is not caused by the possession of evil spirits, 60% agreed that mental illnesses such as depression are synonymous with sadness, and 97% agreed that mental illness is not caused by God's punishment. Moreover, 54% agreed that spiritual guidance is needed when one experiences mental health illnesses, and almost 50% agreed that mentally ill people are dangerous because of violent behavior. Participants who disagreed that mental illness was caused by someone putting a spell on them and disagreed that mental illness was caused by God's punishment reported higher stress levels during the pandemic (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively). Those diagnosed with COVID-19 during the lockdown period reported higher levels of depression compared to those without COVID-19 diagnosis (p=0.005 and p=0.02, respectively). These results enhance the need to incorporate culturally sensitive practices into promoting mental well-being in the DRC. This would result in the creation of tailored mental health interventions for individuals affected by COVID-19 in African countries, especially the DRC.
KEYWORDS
Mental Health, Mental Illness, COVID-19, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Geonel Moluba , Cedric Harville II , Xin Huaibo , Alice Ma , "Beliefs and Attitudes toward Mental Health Post-COVID-19 Lockdown among Adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 267 - 276, 2025. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130127.
(b). APA Format:
Geonel Moluba , Cedric Harville II , Xin Huaibo , Alice Ma (2025). Beliefs and Attitudes toward Mental Health Post-COVID-19 Lockdown among Adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Universal Journal of Public Health, 13(1), 267 - 276. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2025.130127.