scholarly journals Perspectives on mental illness stigma among African immigrant pregnant and post-partum women in an urban setting: a brief report

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aderonke O Bamgbose Pederson ◽  
Elizabeth Waldron ◽  
Inger Burnett-Zeigler ◽  
Crystal T Clark ◽  
Lynette Lartey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Immigrant Women ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
African Immigrant ◽  
African Immigrant Women ◽  
And Migration

Purpose: This study assessed the perspectives of pregnant and post-partum African immigrant women on mental illness. Methods: We conducted a focus group session (N=14) among pregnant and postpartum African immigrant women in June 2020. We used an inductive driven thematic analysis to identify themes related to mental health stigma. Results: Five core themes emerged: conceptualization of mental health, community stigmatizing attitudes, biopsychosocial stressors, management of mental health and methods to reduce stigma. Conclusion: Understanding the perspectives of pregnant African immigrant women at the intersection of their race, ethnicity, gender and migration is necessary to improve engagement with mental health services.

scholarly journals Development and validity of the Value-based Stigma Inventory (VASI): a value-sensitive questionnaire for the assessment of mental health stigma

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia Rieckhof ◽  
Christian Sander ◽  
Sven Speerforck ◽  
Elke Prestin ◽  
Matthias C. Angermeyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Item Difficulty ◽  
Psychometric Evaluation ◽  
Value Orientations ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma ◽  
Normative Values ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
New Instrument

Abstract Background It has been hypothesized that mental illness stigma differs according to what matters most to people, and that this results in value-based differences in stigma within societies. However, there is a lack of stigma measures that account for a broad range of values, including modern and liberal values. Methods For the development of the Value-based Stigma Inventory (VASI) a preliminary item-pool of 68 VASI-items was assembled by mental health and stigma experts. For psychometric evaluation, we tested the VASI in an online sample of the general population (n = 4983). Results Based on item-characteristics as well as explorative and confirmatory factor analyses, a final version of the VASI was developed, comprising 15 items and 5 subscales. The VASI shows good psychometric properties (item difficulty = 0.34 to 0.67; mean inter-item correlation r = 0.326; Cronbach’s α = 0.879). Medium to high correlations with established stigma scales (SDS, SSMI), medium associations with instruments assessing personal values (PVQ, KSA-3) and small to no associations with a social desirability scale (KSE-G) attest to good convergent and discriminatory validity of the new instrument. Normative values for the VASI subscales are presented. Conclusions The developed VASI can be used to assess public stigma of mental illness including personal stigma-relevant value orientations.

Perspectives of university health care students on mental health stigma in Nigeria: Qualitative analysis

2022 ◽  
pp. 136346152110550
Author(s):  
Aderonke Bamgbose Pederson ◽  
J. Konadu Fokuo ◽  
Graham Thornicroft ◽  
Olamojiba Bamgbose ◽  
Oluseun Peter Ogunnubi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Spiritual Beliefs ◽  
Health Care Students ◽  
Public Health Burden

Mental illness is a significant public health burden in low- and middle-income countries. A wide treatment gap in mental health care exists within the Nigerian health care system and this gap is worsened by the presence of stigma associated with mental illness, which leads to delay in treatment or acts as a barrier to any care. In this study, our aim was to understand the factors that underlie mental illness stigma in order to inform the design of effective stigma-reducing interventions among health care students in Nigeria. We conducted four focus groups among university health care students in March 2019 in Nigeria. The students included nursing, pharmacy, and medical trainees from a university teaching hospital. We used an inductive-driven thematic analysis to identify codes and themes related to mental health stigma and conceptualization of mental health within the study group. Among the 40 participants, we identified how specific interpretations of religious and spiritual beliefs may be associated with stigmatizing behaviors such as social distancing and discrimination. Conceptualization of mental illness as a communicable disease and the attribution of mental illness to a moral failing contributed to stigma mechanisms. Overall, eight themes associated with mental health stigma and mental health-related concepts were found: spirituality, discrimination and devaluation, conceptualization of mental health, attribution theories, methods to reduce stigma, shortage of resources, violence and dangerousness, and maltreatment. We found that the co-existence of spiritual beliefs and biomedical and psychological models of mental health is a key factor to consider in the design of effective stigma-reducing interventions among university health students in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Racial identity and mental health stigma among Black adults in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aderonke O Bamgbose Pederson ◽  
Devan Hawkins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Racial Identity ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Black Adults ◽  
Stigma Behavior

Objectives: Mental illness stigma is a barrier to engagement in mental health services. This study assesses our hypothesis that specific racial identity dimensions influences mental health behavior including stigma. Methods: We performed an online cross sectional observational study among Black adults (n = 248, ages 18-65). We examined the relationship between an individual's approach to their racial identity in the community and stigma behavior towards mental health; generalized linear models were performed. We assessed demographic characteristics as moderators of the primary association. Results: Black adults with higher centrality reported lower past stigma behavior (RR=1.57, CI: 1.11-2.21, p=0.01), but higher future intended stigma behavior (RR=0.93, CI: 0.88-0.99, p=0.02). Majority of respondents reported high centrality and high assimilation; however, assimilation did not appear to correlate with mental health stigma behavior. Age, education and ethnicity appeared to have a limited moderating effect on the association between centrality and stigma behavior. Conclusions: Centrality was associated with mental health stigma behavior. By understanding the intersecting characteristics that may increase the likelihood for mental illness stigma, we will be better able to reduce mental illness stigma and optimize engagement in mental health services.

scholarly journals Older Adults’ Subjective Well-being Following an Exergame Intervention “Bandit the Dolphin”: Focus Group Findings

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 169-170
Author(s):  
Brittany Drazich ◽  
Breanna Crane ◽  
Kyle Moored ◽  
Karl Shieh ◽  
Janiece Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Adult Participants

Abstract Due to generational mental illness stigma and under diagnosis of mental illness, older adults do not always receive the mental health help that they need. One unique technology that has the potential to improve mood in older adults is exergames, or exercise video games. The objective of this sub-study (main study: Stimulation With Intricate Movements “SWIM” Study) was to explore older adults’ mood following an exergame intervention called “Bandit the Dolphin,” created by the Johns Hopkins KATA Studio. Researchers conducted three focus groups with 14 community-dwelling older adult participants who took part in the SWIM Study exergame intervention. The semi-structured focus groups were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using deductive and inductive techniques described by Ray Maietta’s “sort and sift, think and shift” method. Three themes related to playing “Bandit the Dolphin” and mood emerged. First, participants described their perceived association between activity and mood. Participants felt that both active and passive activities, “Bandit the Dolphin” and otherwise, improved their mood through the “fun” factor, and through feelings of achievement. Second, the participants described that the competition and frustration of playing “Bandit the Dolphin” increased eventual feelings of achievement. Third, participants described how feelings of immersion, or being absorbed in the game, helped them forget their other life concerns. These findings provide a better understanding of older adults’ perceived relationship between an exergame intervention, “Bandit the Dolphin,” and short-term improved mood. Future health and engineering researchers should explore exergames as a potential tool to improve the mental health of older adults.

scholarly journals Schizophrenia in The Context of Mental Health Services in Palestine: a literature review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Marie ◽  
Zareefa Shaabna ◽  
Manahel Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Political Violence ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Heart Diseases ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma

Abstract Background: Mental health conditions remain a significant cause of disability in the Arab World. Palestinians are predominantly at a higher risk for mental health problems due to their chronic exposure to political violence, prolonged displacement, and others as limited professional, educational, financial opportunities and mental health services. Schizophrenia is an overwhelming mental illness that affects nearly one percent of the various populations throughout the world. Studies have shown patients with schizophrenia die prematurely and have lower life expectancy compared to the general population. Moreover, antipsychotic medications and client’s lifestyle play a significant role in increased morbidity and mortality in these patients. The present study willingly undertakes a literature review on schizophrenia in the context of mental health services in Palestine.Methods: Studies were identified through PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Semantic Scholar and Elsevier.Results: Twenty-four studies were included in this review; eleven articles related to schizophrenia and thirteen articles related to mental health services in Westbank and Gaza. Results revealed the life of patients with schizophrenia in Palestine is complicated. Barriers as lacking awareness about mental illness, stigma, inconsistent availability of medications, absence of multidisciplinary teamwork, insufficient specialists, fragmented mental health system, occupation, and other obstacles stand in the face of improving the quality of life among these patients.Limitations: Palestine is a state that is seeking independence with a scarcity of resources. It has been described as “uncharted territories'' due to a lack of data, resources and records. As a result, there is insufficient data regarding schizophrenia in Palestine. Therefore, a thesis study that estimated Ten years’ risk of coronary heart diseases in patients with schizophrenia was included.Conclusions: Recommendations include ending the occupation as the leading cause of mental illness for Palestinians and implementing efficient and effective mental health nursing care through the multidisciplinary work and raising awareness regarding mental illness to fight the stigma.

The Role of Rural and Urban Geography and Gender in Community Stigma Around Mental Illness

2020 ◽  
pp. 109019812097496
Author(s):  
Shawnda Schroeder ◽  
Chih Ming Tan ◽  
Brian Urlacher ◽  
Thomasine Heitkamp
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma ◽  
Stigma Scale ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
And Gender

Empirical evidence describes the negative outcomes people with mental health disorders experience due to societal stigma. The aim of this study was to examine the role of gender and rural-urban living in perceptions about mental illness. Participants completed the Day’s Mental Illness Stigma Scale, a nationally validated instrument for measuring stigma. Directors of Chambers of Commerce in North Dakota distributed the electronic survey to their members. Additionally, distribution occurred through use of social media and other snowball sampling approaches. Analysis of data gathered from 749 participants occurred through examination of the difference in perceptions based on geography and gender. The zip codes of residence were sorted to distinguish between rural and urban participants. Application of weighting measures ensured closer alignment with the general population characteristics. Findings indicate that for the majority of the seven stigma measures the Day’s Mental Illness Stigma Scale examines, the coefficient of rural–gender interactions was positive and highly significant with higher levels of stigma in rural areas. Females exhibited lower stigma perceptions than males. However, women living in rural areas held higher degrees of stigma compared to urban residing females. Implications of the study include the need to advance mental health literacy campaigns for males and people residing in rural communities. Additional empirical studies that examine the role of geography and gender in understanding stigma toward people with mental health disorders will result in improved treatment outcomes due to increased and focused educational efforts.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document