Daily Encounters of Mental Illness Stigma and Individual Strategies to Reduce Stigma – Perspectives of People With Mental Illness

SummaryTwo approaches have emerged to deal with the stigma of mental illness: normalcy, where people with mental illness are framed as ‘just like everyone else’; and solidarity, where the public agrees to stand with those with mental illness regardless of their symptoms. Pros and cons of each approach are considered.

Download Full-text

Mental illness stigma research in Argentina

BJPsych International ◽

10.1192/s2056474000000623 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 86-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Martin Agrest ◽

Franco Mascayano ◽

Sara Elena Ardila-Gómez ◽

Ariel Abeldaño ◽

Ruth Fernandez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Future Research ◽

Community Perceptions ◽

Community Based ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

National Mental Health ◽

Community Based Services

Studies regarding stigma towards mental illness in Argentina blossomed after the first National Mental Health Law was passed in 2010. Methodological limitations and contradictory results regarding community perceptions of stigma hinder comparisons across domestic and international contexts but some lessons may still be gleaned. We examine this research and derive recommendations for future research and actions to reduce stigma. These include tackling culture-specific aspects of stigma, increasing education of the general population, making more community-based services available and exposing mental health professionals to people with mental illness who are on community paths to recovery.

Download Full-text

A social network analysis of the role of social contact in mental illness stigma using the 2018 General Social Survey

10.31235/osf.io/e9c27 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Brea Louise Perry ◽

Elizabeth Felix ◽

Megan Bolton ◽

Erin L. Pullen ◽

Bernice A. Pescosolido

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Social Network ◽

General Social Survey ◽

Social Contact ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Empirical Literature ◽

Negative Stereotypes ◽

Social Survey ◽

People With Mental Illness

Despite decades of research and dozens of public health campaigns, stigma continues to negatively affect the well-being and life chances of people labeled with a mental illness. One of the most promising directions for reducing stigma lies in Allport’s (1954) theory of intergroup contact, suggesting that social interactions with people with mental illness invalidate negative stereotypes, decrease fear and anxiety, and enable perspective-taking and empathy. While the empirical literature is largely supportive of the contact hypothesis, social network theory indicates that the degree to which contact reduces stigma should depend on the nature, magnitude, and valence of exposure to people with mental illness. We address this question using data from the National Stigma Study – Replication II (NSS-R II), fielded on a special module of the 2018 General Social Survey (N=1,179). We find that simply knowing someone with mental illness, or even the number of people one knows, explains little about the public’s desire for social distance, endorsement of coercion, or perceptions of dangerousness. However, having stronger relationships with more people with mental illness, and having more friends and family (but not more peripheral ties) with mental illness, are associated with reductions in stigma. In contrast, exposure to more dangerousness or violence among people in the network with mental illness is associated with greater levels of stigma, while contact with more people who are in treatment for mental illness (as opposed to untreated) is linked to less stigma.

Download Full-text

Investigating the potential of visual news narratives to reduce mental illness stigma

10.32469/10355/62474 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Roma Subramanian

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Health Communication ◽

Attribution Theory ◽

Mental Health Policy ◽

The United States ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Communication Model ◽

Mean Values ◽

People With Mental Illness

Nearly 50 percent of individuals in the United States will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime (Reeves et al., 2011). Although mental illness can be treated, most people with mental illness do not seek treatment (Phelan, Link, Stueve, and Pescosolido, 2000). Stigma against mental illness is considered to be a major obstacle to treatment and recovery (USDHHS, 1999). Narratives have the potential to reduce mental illness stigma (for example, Oliver et al., 2012; Chang, 2008). This study extends work on the persuasive potential of narratives by investigating the effects of a particular type of visual narrative on reducing mental illness stigma: Comics. Comics are commonly used in health communication messaging and are believed to offer cognitive and emotional benefits. Drawing on the stigma communication model, multimedia learning theory, attribution theory, risk perception, and visual persuasion as well as the concept of social determinants of health, a 3 (image type: cartoon, photo, text) x 2 (disease type: depression, bipolar disorder) between-subjects online experiment was conducted to determine whether narrative news stories about mental illness illustrated with abstract/interpretational images (specifically, cartoons, which are a key characteristic of comics) are more effective at reducing mental illness stigma than those illustrated with realistic/representational images, specifically, photographs. Results indicated that for the depression narratives, photographs elicited significantly more anti-stigma behavioral intentions, such as support for mental health policy, likelihood to share the message, and decrease in social distancing behavior, than text alone; further, these effects were mediated by identification and/or connectedness with the story's protagonist. Also, for the depression condition, mean values for the cartoon condition were not significantly lower than those for the photograph condition. For the narratives on bipolar disorder, there were no significant differences between the conditions for any of the outcome variables; however, when it came to empathic response -- identification, pity, connectedness -- the mean values for the cartoon condition were the highest. The study contributes theoretically to work on the use of narratives in stigma communication as well as provides practical implications for the use of comics in health communication messages.

Download Full-text

Stigma Attitudes Towards People with Mental Illness among Professionals Working in a Psychiatric Hospital

Revista Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental ◽

10.51338/rppsm.238 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mariana Silva ◽

Sandra Nascimento ◽

Tiago Pereira ◽

Beatriz Lourenço ◽

Miguel Nascimento ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Psychiatric Hospital ◽

Behavioral Outcomes ◽

Negative Attitude ◽

Attitude Scale ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Future Research ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Stigmatizing Attitudes

Introduction: Mental illness stigma studies demonstrate the presence of stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illness both by the public and health professionals. This study aimed to analyze the attitudes of professionals working at a Portuguese psychiatric hospital towards people with mental illness. Material and Methods: A cross‑sectional observational study was conducted to examine the attitudes of professionals through application of Mental Illness Clinician Attitude Scale (MICA) and collection of sociodemographic data. Results: Scores of MICA questionnaire were significantly lower than the cut‑off point for negative attitude in general and across professional categories suggesting that overall professionals seem to manifest a positive attitude towards people with mental illness. There was a trend of decrease in MICA scores throughout increasing years of professional experience although not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our results do not contradict the need to continue fighting stigma, but instead to better evaluate how these attitudes translate into practice, by including behavioral outcomes in future research.

Download Full-text

Psychometric Evaluation of the Revised Attribution Questionnaire (r-AQ) to Measure Mental Illness Stigma in Adolescents

Journal of Nursing Measurement ◽

10.1891/1061-3749.20.1.47 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 47-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Melissa D. Pinto ◽

Ronald Hickman ◽

M. Cynthia Logsdon ◽

Christopher Burant

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Factor Structure ◽

Psychometric Evaluation ◽

Internal Consistency Reliability ◽

Emotional Reaction ◽

Emotional Reactions ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Attribution Questionnaire

The Revised Attribution Questionnaire (r-AQ) measures mental illness stigma. This study’s purpose is to evaluate the factor structure of the (r-AQ) and examine the validity of the factor structure in adolescents. A convenience sample (n = 210) of adolescents completed the r-AQ and these data were used in exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). The EFA established a five item single factor structure, which we called the modified r-AQ and captures the negative emotional reactions to people with mental illness, a domain of mental illness stigma. The CFA established the validity of the factor structure (χ2 = 2.4, df = 4, p = .659, TLI = 1.042, CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = .000). Internal consistency reliability for the scale was acceptable (α = .70). The modified r-AQ is a reliable and valid measure of the emotional reaction to people with mental illness.

Download Full-text

Self-Stigma, Perceived Stigma, and Help-Seeking Communication in People with Mental Illness

PORTAL Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies ◽

10.5130/portal.v11i1.3295 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jen Lee Teh ◽

David King ◽

Bernadette Watson ◽

Shuang Liu

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Online Survey ◽

Willingness To Communicate ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Perceived Stigma ◽

Multicultural Issues ◽

Negative Beliefs ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Good Patient Care

People with mental illness (PWMI) often internalise negative beliefs (self-stigma) or anticipate external sources of stigma (perceived stigma). This study examines how the two types of stigma affect the willingness to communicate for help – such communication is a vital aspect of good patient care and treatment outcome. Seventy-two participants from different ethnic backgrounds who had experienced mental illness responded to an online survey about their level of agreement with statements reflecting self- and perceived stigma and their willingness to disclose to various help sources. Face-to-face interviews with 17 of these respondents provided a deeper understanding of how stigma affected their help-seeking communication. The quantitative results seemed to suggest that self-stigma has a stronger negative correlation with willingness to seek help. Respondents preferred disclosing to friends above family members and health professionals. The results highlight the importance of building resilience to reduce self-stigma and thereby increase help seeking. Given the different ethnic backgrounds of the participants, there emerged some multicultural issues that would seem to contribute to persisting mental illness stigma. These and any cultural differences are discussed.

Download Full-text

Changes in the perception of mental illness stigma in Germany over the last two decades

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2013.10.004 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 29 (6) ◽

pp. 390-395 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Matthias C. Angermeyer ◽

Herbert Matschinger ◽

Mauro G. Carta ◽

Georg Schomerus

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Federal Republic ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Public Stigma ◽

Federal Republic Of Germany ◽

Population Surveys ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

German States ◽

Personal Attitudes

AbstractPurposeTo examine the evolution of the perception of the stigma attached to mental illness in Germany since 1990 up to the present.Subjects and methodsPopulation surveys were conducted in the old German States (former Federal Republic of Germany) in 1990, 2001, and 2011. The perception of stigma attached to people with mental illness was assessed with the help of Link's perceived discrimination and devaluation scale.ResultsIn the 2011 survey, less mental illness stigma was perceived by respondents than in the previous surveys. In the eyes of the German public, the devaluation and rejection of people with mental illness has substantially decreased since 1990.DiscussionThe perception of a decline of the stigmatization is in contrast to the development of the German public's attitudes towards persons with mental disorders, which remained unchanged or even worsened.ConclusionPerceived and personal attitudes towards persons with mental illness have developed differently, and it remains to be seen whether perceptions of less public stigma will ultimately be followed by improved personal attitudes.

Download Full-text

Comparing Mental Illness Stigma among Nurses in Psychiatric and Non-Psychiatric Wards in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Acta Facultatis Medicae Naissensis ◽

10.1515/afmnai-2017-0002 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 13-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hossein Ebrahimi ◽

Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi ◽

Hossein Namdar Areshtanab ◽

Maryam Pourabbas ◽

Ahmad Dehghan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Low Income ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Self Report ◽

Psychiatric Nurses ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Stigma Of Mental Illness ◽

Medium Level

Summary Stigma can complicate people’s mental health problems by affecting different sides of personal life, increasing negative attitudes, causing discriminatory behavior towards them, and reducing the chances of recovery and returning to normal life. This research aims to compare the stigma of mental illness among nurses working in psychiatric and non-psychiatric wards in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. A total of 240 nurses participated in this descriptive and analytic study. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) Scale, which is a 40-item self-report questionnaire. All data were analyzed using SPSS 13. The majority of nurses have a medium level of stigma toward people with mental illness, and there is no significant relation between the type of wards and mean stigma scores. After eliminating factors such as mental illness in nurses and their families, it seems that only working with people with mental illness in psychiatric wards is not enough to create a positive attitude toward them. Additionally, the less physical activity and taking advantage of legal benefits of work hardship for psychiatric nurses, low income, and stigma toward psychiatric nursing, probably may make a difference in inclining to work in psychiatry ward between the two groups in spite of relatively equal stigma scores.

Download Full-text