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Dominant Cultural and Personal Stigma Beliefs and the Utilization of Mental Health Services: A Cross-National Comparison.

ABSTRACT: Purpose: The detrimental impact of stigma on the utilization of mental health services is a well-established finding. Nevertheless, most studies consider only the personal or interactional dimensions of stigma. This contribution makes a distinction between the dominant beliefs about stigma within a culture and the personal beliefs of individuals with regard to stigma. We hypothesize that both have an impact on professional-care seeking within the field of mental health. Methods: A multi-level research design is used to estimate the effects of both types of stigma beliefs on the likelihood of consulting general and specialized health professionals about mental health problems in 28 European countries (N of individuals = 24,881, Eurobarometer 248, 2005-2006). Results: In countries where stigmatizing beliefs are dominant, the likelihood of seeking help from specialized mental health professionals is constrained, and individuals refrain from contacting general practitioners when in need of formal support, regardless of their own personal stigma beliefs. Conclusion: The present study signals the importance of stigma beliefs as shared cultural phenomena, and of personal stigma beliefs to the likelihood of seeking professional care for mental health problems. We therefore propose that most studies on stigma and formal-care seeking underestimate the pervasive effects of stigma beliefs, due to methodological individualism.

SUBMITTER: Bracke P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8022809 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Education Students' Stigma Toward Mental Health Problems: A Cross-Cultural Comparison.

Project description:One of the main obstacles to integrating individuals with severe mental disorders into society today is the stigma directed at them. Although breakthroughs in treatment have been made in recent years, many professionals continue to admit that they do not possess enough training to combat this problem. Considering this situation, the present study analyzes the existing stigma among University Education students in three countries with different education systems and cultures, namely Spain, Russia, and Canada. A total of 1,542 students from these three countries participated in the study. ANOVA, MANOVA, and Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis were applied in the data analysis. The results showed that the highest rates of stigma were in Spain and the lowest were in Canada, while Russia displayed intermediate values. This work addresses the relevance of these results, the influence that cultural difference may have on education policies, and the need to implement anti-stigma programs in countries like Spain, which has a relatively high level of social stigma and where these programs are practically not applied at all.

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| S-EPMC8080856 | biostudies-literature

Continuum beliefs and mental illness stigma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of correlation and intervention studies.

Project description:BackgroundPromulgating a continuum model of mental health and mental illness has been proposed as a way to reduce stigma by decreasing notions of differentness. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines whether continuum beliefs are associated with lower stigma, and whether continuum interventions reduce stigma.MethodsFollowing a pre-defined protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42019123606), we searched three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) yielding 6726 studies. After screening, we included 33 studies covering continuum beliefs, mental illness, and stigma. Of these, 13 studies were included in meta-analysis.ResultsContinuum beliefs are consistently associated with lower stigma. Interventions were effective at manipulating continuum beliefs but differ in their effects on stigmatising attitudes.ConclusionsWe discuss whether and to what extent attitudes towards people with mental illness can be improved by providing information on a mental health-mental illness continuum. It appeared to be relevant whether interventions promoted a feeling of 'us' and a process of identification with the person with mental illness. We discuss implications for the design of future interventions.

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Mental Health Services for Students at Postsecondary Institutions: A National Survey.

Project description:Although the high prevalence of mental health issues among postsecondary students is well documented, comparatively little is known about the adequacy, accessibility, and adherence to best practices of mental health services (MHSs)/initiatives on postsecondary campuses. We evaluated existing mental health promotion, identification, and intervention initiatives at postsecondary institutions across Canada, expanding on our previous work in one Canadian province.A 54-question online survey was sent to potential respondents (mainly front-line workers dealing directly with students [e.g., psychologists/counsellors, medical professionals]) at Canada's publicly funded postsecondary institutions. Data were analyzed overall and according to institutional size (small [<2000 students], medium [2000-10 000 students], large [>10 000 students]).In total, 168 out of 180 institutions were represented, and the response rate was high (96%; 274 respondents). Most institutions have some form of mental health promotion and outreach programs, although most respondents felt that these were not a good use of resources. Various social supports exist at most institutions, with large ones offering the greatest variety. Most institutions do not require incoming students to disclose mental health issues. While counselling services are typically available, staff do not reliably have a diverse complement (e.g., gender or race diversity). Counselling sessions are generally limited, and follow-up procedures are uncommon. Complete diagnostic assessments and the use of standardized diagnostic systems are rare.While integral MHSs are offered at most Canadian postsecondary institutions, the range and depth of available services are variable. These data can guide policy makers and stakeholders in developing comprehensive campus mental health strategies.

| S-EPMC5564891 | biostudies-other

Survey datasets on patterns of utilization of mental healthcare services among people living with mental illness.

Project description:The data was obtained from a field survey aimed at measuring the patterns of utilization of mental healthcare services among people living with mental illness. The data was collected using a standardized and structured questionnaire from People Living with Mental Illness (PLMI) receiving treatment and the care-givers of People Living with Mental Illness. Three psychiatric hospitals in Ogun state, Nigeria were the population from which the samples were taken. Chi-square test of independence and correspondence analysis were used to present the data in analyzed form.

| S-EPMC6141371 | biostudies-literature

Mental health literacy: a cross-cultural approach to knowledge and beliefs about depression, schizophrenia and generalized anxiety disorder.

Project description:Many families worldwide have at least one member with a behavioral or mental disorder, and yet the majority of the public fails to correctly recognize symptoms of mental illness. Previous research has found that Mental Health Literacy (MHL)-the knowledge and positive beliefs about mental disorders-tends to be higher in European and North American cultures, compared to Asian and African cultures. Nonetheless quantitative research examining the variables that explain this cultural difference remains limited. The purpose of our study was fourfold: (a) to validate measures of MHL cross-culturally, (b) to examine the MHL model quantitatively, (c) to investigate cultural differences in the MHL model, and (d) to examine collectivism as a predictor of MHL. We validated measures of MHL in European American and Indian samples. The results lend strong quantitative support to the MHL model. Recognition of symptoms of mental illness was a central variable: greater recognition predicted greater endorsement of social causes of mental illness and endorsement of professional help-seeking as well as lesser endorsement of lay help-seeking. The MHL model also showed an overwhelming cultural difference; namely, lay help-seeking beliefs played a central role in the Indian sample, and a negligible role in the European American sample. Further, collectivism was positively associated with causal beliefs of mental illness in the European American sample, and with lay help-seeking beliefs in the Indian sample. These findings demonstrate the importance of understanding cultural differences in beliefs about mental illness, particularly in relation to help-seeking beliefs.

| S-EPMC4561812 | biostudies-literature

Mental health stigma and professional help-seeking attitudes a comparison between Cuba and Germany.

Project description:Globally the burden due to mental disorders is continuously increasing. Still, professional help-seeking behavior is not fully understood. To conceive cultural determinants of help-seeking is crucial to reduce personal and social costs of (untreated) mental disorders. The current study investigates mental health stigma and help-seeking attitudes in a Cuban (n = 195) and a German (n = 165) sample. In a questionnaire survey we asked for attitudes towards mental illness and professional help-seeking in the general Cuban and German populations. The cultural context was associated with mental health stigma and professional help-seeking attitudes. Interestingly, Cuban participants reported stronger mental health stigma and more willingness to seek help. In multiple hierarchical regression analyses, community attitudes towards the mentally ill significantly predicted help-seeking attitudes, especially in the Cuban sample. Only in the German sample, more negative individual beliefs about mental illness predicted more self-stigma on help-seeking. Beyond that, cultural context moderated the association between mental health stigma and help-seeking attitudes with a stronger association between the measures in the German sample. However, gender did not predict help-seeking attitudes and self-stigma on help-seeking and no interactions between community attitudes, cultural context, and gender were found in the prediction of help-seeking attitudes. Similarities and differences between the samples are discussed in the light of the cultural contexts and peculiarities of the current samples. Concluding, implications of the current findings are reviewed.

| S-EPMC7877775 | biostudies-literature

The role of adverse physical health events on the utilization of mental health services.

Project description:ObjectiveTo test the degree to which adverse physical health events may subsequently increase the utilization of mental health services.MethodsA quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was employed on a nationally representative sample of adults from the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys for years 2004 and 2005. We constructed a 2-year balanced-panel dataset on 6,017 U.S. adults who did not have any adverse physical health events in 2004. We calculated difference-in-differences estimators that capture the effect of adverse physical health events on provider visits and prescription drug use for the treatment of mental health conditions.Principal findingsOur most rigorous analytic model shows that an adverse physical health event is significantly associated with more than a threefold increase in the likelihood of provider visits and prescribed medication use for the treatment of mental health problems. These increases are mainly through office-based physician visits for nonsevere mental health conditions. This relationship is greater among those who experience more severe physical health events.ConclusionAn adverse physical health event substantially increases the utilization of mental health care. Mental health service use increases with the severity of a physical health condition.

| S-EPMC3589961 | biostudies-literature

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