Abstract:
Negative beliefs and preconceived opinions on mental illness, which are not based on reason or actual experience, play a
significant role in determining treatment and health-seeking behaviour by caregivers of people with mental illness. This
paper assesses the influence of prejudice on caregivers of people with mental illness in Uasin Gishu County. The study
was anchored on the health-seeking behavior theory and targeted 480 respondents drawn from Uasin Gishu County. This
was achieved through purposive sampling. Data from the caregivers was collected using a structured questionnaire and
focus group discussions, while data from health care providers was collected using an interview schedule. Data from the
questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while data from the focus group discussions and
interviews used themes. The study revealed that prejudice (b=-0.332, þ<0.05), had negative and significant influences on
health-seeking behavior of caregivers. The study concluded that prejudice was an element of the cultural construction of
mental illness that negatively influenced health-seeking behavior among caregivers of people with mental illness. It is
recommended that future studies should seek to use data collection approaches that integrate feelings and emotions of the
people who have mental illness in addition to widening the geographical scope of the study.
