Associated factors of stigma toward people with mental illness among university and school students

Omari, Omar Al; Khalaf, Atika; Sabei, Sulaiman Al; Wynaden, Dianne; Ballad, Cherry Ann; Dameery, Khloud Al; Qadire, Mohammad Al

doi:10.1111/ppc.12982

Cited by 10 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…This study found that stigma agreement was high among students who had illiterate parents. These findings resonate with previous studies in Oman where the mother's level of education, and family income were significantly associated with mental health stigma (Al Omari et al, 2021). Overall, these findings support the trend revealed in previous research that knowledge and stigma are inversely proportional (Heary et al, 2017;Kaushik et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…There is evidence that mental illness is still perceived by most communities worldwide as a character weakness, a punishment for immoral behaviour, the result of illicit drug taking or a result of supernatural forces (Chatterjee & Singh, 2018;Corrigan, 2018;Maier et al, 2014;Seeman et al, 2016). The prevalence of stigma seems to be higher in Arabspeaking countries compared with the rest of the world (Al Omari et al, 2021;Seeman et al, 2016;Shehata & Abdeldaim, 2020). This could be due to insufficient mental health knowledge among university students (Al Omari et al, 2020) and absent or inefficient monitoring mechanisms of mental health legislation and policies within the healthcare setting, as reported by a review of mental illness stigma in the Arab world (Merhej, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The scale is available in the Arabic language. The scale is valid and reliable, and it was used in the Arabic context before (Al Omari et al, 2021). Construct validity and internal consistency were established.…”

Section: E a Su R Em En T S The Outcome Variable: Stigmamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Self and public stigma towards mental illnesses and its predictors among university students in 11 Arabic‐speaking countries: A multi‐site study

Al Omari,

Valsaraj,

Khatatbeh

et al. 2023

Int J Mental Health Nurs

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This study aimed to explore self and public stigma towards mental illness and associated factors among university students from 11 Arabic‐speaking countries. This cross‐sectional study included 4241 university students recruited from Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Syria, Sudan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt. The participants completed three self‐administrative online questionnaires—Demographic Proforma (age, gender, family income, etc.), Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale and Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire. There was a significant difference in the average mean between the 11 countries (p < 0.01) based on stigma agreement (self) and stigma awareness (public). The mean stigma agreement towards mental illnesses among university students was 19.7 (SD = 6.0), with the lowest in Lebanon, 15.9 (SD = 5.1) and the highest in UAE, 24.1 (SD = 5.6). The factors associated with stigma agreement included poor knowledge, being male, high family income, age, weak cumulative grade point average (cGPA), mothers with primary education, an unemployed parent, students in scientific colleges and fathers who completed secondary or university degrees. Furthermore, the factors associated with stigma awareness included good knowledge, acceptable cGPA and having a father who has a low income and is illiterate. Stigma towards mental illness varies among university students across Arabic‐speaking countries. There is a need to sensitize youngsters to the need for a humanitarian approach in society to individuals affected by mental health concerns. Major governmental reforms must be initiated for the provision of mental health services for individuals with mental illnesses.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Self and public stigma towards mental illnesses and its predictors among university students in 11 Arabic‐speaking countries: A multi‐site study

Al Omari,

Valsaraj,

Khatatbeh

et al. 2023

Int J Mental Health Nurs

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Overall, the total scores for knowledge and positive attitude toward people with mental illness were low in the current study. Previous research in the Arab region [8,9,11,30] and elsewhere [31] had similar results among students and teachers [21,32]. There is a need to integrate or adopt mental health programmes to refresh and improve teachers' current knowledge about mental illness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…Although the general public's knowledge about mental illness has improved, a negative attitude among Jordanian adolescents remains [8,10]. Gender, level of education, previous mental health training, having a family history with a mental illness, and/or socio-economic status were found to predict stigma among teachers and their students [11,12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of knowledge and attitude toward mental illness among secondary school students and teachers

et al. 2022

Self Cite

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Aim The current study aimed to assess and compare the level of knowledge and attitude towards mental illness between secondary school students and their teachers in Oman. Methods An online survey was carried out to collect data from 400 students and 411 teachers about their knowledge and attitudes toward people with mental illness. Two independent case studies about depression and schizophrenia were also tested. Results Students have a poor knowledge of mental illness compared with their teachers, as more than half scored less than 60% compared with 16.5% of the teachers. More than two-thirds of the students (80%) and teachers (76.4%) have a low or minor positive attitude toward people with mental illness. The study identified significant differences in knowledge in favour of teachers, although the opposite was found regarding attitudes. Conclusions Since students spend a significant amount of time in school, bridging the gap between teachers' and students’ knowledge and attitudes toward mental illness is an essential part in enhancing the knowledge and attitudes of the students. In addition, knowledgeable teachers with positive attitude can assist in early identification of mental illnesses and help students when needed. In turn, students who possess knowledge and positive attitude toward mental illness can share their concerns with their teachers. In the presence of such accepting and cooperative environment, the stigma can be decreased and early detection of mental illness and help-seeking behaviour can be promoted.

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Exploring mental health stigma among Indonesian healthcare students towards individuals with mental illnesses: a qualitative study

Subu,

Dias,

Mottershead

et al. 2024

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

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Background The social disapproval or stigma surrounding mental illness contributes to the postponement of individuals seeking assistance and frequently undermines therapeutic alliances between mental illness sufferers and health care professionals. Aims This study explored perceptions and attitudes towards individuals with mental illness among college healthcare students in Indonesia. Methods This study used a qualitative method. Twenty five students enrolled in six healthcare programs were interviewed using a semi structured format. The data analysis adopted a thematic analysis. Results Our thematic analysis generated four main themes: (1) general perceptions of mental health and mental illness; (2) knowledge about mental illness; (3) mental health stigma; and (4) mental health stigma campaigns. Conclusions The participants exhibited positive perceptions of mentally ill people. Students understood mental health, and they exhibited positive attitudes toward mentally ill people. Some students have stigma and lack of confidence to assist those who have mental illness. Further efforts are required to acquaint students with mental health issues and facilitate their interaction with mentally ill individuals. Anti-stigma campaigns are required to combat the pervasive stigmatization of individuals with mental illness. It is recommended to conduct a more extensive study about the stigma that students encounter in relation to mentally ill individuals.

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Associated factors of stigma toward people with mental illness among university and school students

Cited by 10 publications

References 34 publications

Self and public stigma towards mental illnesses and its predictors among university students in 11 Arabic‐speaking countries: A multi‐site study

Self and public stigma towards mental illnesses and its predictors among university students in 11 Arabic‐speaking countries: A multi‐site study

A comparison of knowledge and attitude toward mental illness among secondary school students and teachers

Exploring mental health stigma among Indonesian healthcare students towards individuals with mental illnesses: a qualitative study

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