Background: Mental illness stigma is universally prevalent and a significant barrier to achieving global mental health goals. Mental illness stigma in Bangladesh has gained little attention despite its widespread impact on seeking mental health care in rural and urban areas. This study aimed to investigate mental illness stigma and the associated factors in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. Methods: The study areas were divided into several clusters from which 325 participants (≥18 years) were recruited with systematic random sampling. The Bangla version of the Days' Mental Illness Stigma Scale was used to collect data. Independent-samples t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression were performed. Results: Results suggest that gender, age, geographical location, socioeconomic status, and occupation significantly differed across subscales of stigma. Age, gender, seeking treatment of mental illness, having knowledge on mental health, and socioeconomic status were predictive factors of mental illness stigma. The results also showed a high treatment gap in both rural and urban areas. Conclusion: This study supports that mental illness stigma is prevalent in Bangladesh, requiring coordinated efforts. Results can inform the development of contextually tailored mental health strategies to reduce stigma and contribute to the promotion of mental health of individuals and communities across Bangladesh.
Impact statementAmid the knowledge gap in the existing literature, our study provides novel insights into the mental illness stigma across geographical locations in Bangladesh. The study employed cluster sampling which reduces the potential bias in recruiting participants across study sites. A number of sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, location, socioeconomic status, history of seeking mental health care, and prior knowledge about mental health were significantly differed and associated with different aspects of mental illness stigma (i.e., anxiety, relationship disruption, hygiene, visibility, treatability, professional efficiency, and recovery). Low-and middleincome countries (LMICs), in general, witness a high treatment gap and our study supports this notion with findings suggesting a high treatment gap in both rural and urban settings. This treatment gap warrants immediate steps to be undertaken in order to reduce the global burden caused by mental illness taking the prevailing stigma into account. We hope the study facilitates more research into mental illness stigma in LMICs including Bangladesh. Furthermore, the findings can inform policy development, influence regulations, or contribute to evidence-based decision-making. The findings can also be utilized to spark a dialogue about the actions needed to shape policies or practices at various levels, from local to national or international contexts.