Aggression/destructiveness, talkativeness, and eccentric behaviors were the most frequently mentioned perceived symptoms of mental illness by respondents. This finding suggests that one has to display behaviour that attracts public attention and is therefore socially disruptive, to be recognized as having a mental disorder. This finding is similar to that documented by White in Tanzania [10] and Asuni et al. [7] among Yoruba patients in Western Nigeria. It is notable that hallucinations and delusions that are frequently mentioned in the literature as prototypes of gross psychotic states were not mentioned by the respondents as features of mental illness, probably because such features are not as tangible as aggressive attitudes.

Misuse of drugs ranked highest among the respondents as a perceived cause of mental disorders than most of the other traditional etiologies. This finding may not be unconnected with increasing use of illicit drugs among the youth in developing countries. Although drug abuse was acknowledged by Iliyasu and Last [11] in their work on mental illness in Kano, northern Nigeria as a leading cause of drug dependent psychosis, Holzinger and colleagues [12] reported that drugs and alcohol was not considered by schizophrenia patients or their relatives to be a common cause of mental illness. Divine punishment ranked second as a perceived causative factor. This response may not be unconnected with the leading response (drug misuse), as many individuals are of the belief that one evokes supernatural wrath by taking intoxicants thus leading to the development of mental illness [3].

Belief in demons as the cause of mental health problems is a well-known phenomenon in many cultures of the world [13] but in our study this factor was ranked 3^rd place by respondents (18% of the responses). Our finding is also in contrast to Adebowale and Ogunlesi [8] who found that "supernatural causes" were the most acceptable etiological factor among both mentally ill patients and their relatives in southwest Nigeria.

Only 1.0% of respondents admitted that financial distress or poverty was a possible cause of mental disorder. Such a low score in the face of the present adverse socio-economic conditions prevailing in Nigeria may be explained by the Hausa cultural cum religious belief in providence and patience in the face of adversity. Other factors have also been reported by investigators as being associated with perceived causes of mental illness among patients and their relatives. Srinivasan and Thara [14] found that patient gender and education, duration of illness, the key relative's education, and the nature of relationship were associated with family beliefs about the cause of mental illness.

There was a higher score on the preference for modern medical care in treating psychiatric illness. Similar changes in attitude towards the modern scientific approach regarding mental disorders was documented by Alem et al [15] in their work on mental illness in Ethiopia and by Iliyasu and Last [11].

Fear and avoidance of the mentally sick was frequent among female respondents. Traditionally, men are expected to be outwardly brave and less submissive towards aggression. The high frequency of negative attitudes among our respondents may be due to the fact that the concept of the mentally sick has an unfavourable public image. It has been shown that people may evaluate mental illness negatively, reject and discriminate against mental patients, and base their views on traditional stereotypes [4,10,16].

Literacy was found to be significantly associated with positive attitude towards the mentally sick. Similar findings were reported by Madianos et al. [17] in Greece, and by Alem et al. [15] in Ethiopia. A study on community attitudes towards the mentally ill in New Zealand also reported that those who had previous contact with the mentally ill held informed and enlightened views [18]. Interestingly, a recent Hong Kong study reported a generally negative attitude towards the mentally ill despite a fairly good knowledge of mental illness among the respondents [19]. Our results support the hypothesis by Wolff et al. [19] that negative attitudes towards the mentally ill are fuelled by a lack of knowledge.