Knowledge of and Stigma Associated With Mental Disorders in a South African Community Sample

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the awareness of, attitudes toward, and stigma associated with psychiatric disorders among South Africans. A convenience sample of 1081 members of the general public participated in the study. One of 10 vignettes portraying different psychiatric disorders with subtle or obvious symptoms was presented to each respondent. Schizophrenia was reported as being the most representative of a psychiatric disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder as the least representative. Psychosocial stress was reported more frequently than medical etiologies as a possible cause of mental disorders. Seeking help from a health professional in the form of psychotherapy was often endorsed as an effective treatment option, whereas taking medication was rarely endorsed. Respondents held more stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with substance abuse and schizophrenia, whereas post-traumatic stress disorder was stigmatized significantly less than the other conditions. Further effort is required to educate the public about the psychobiological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders and about the value of effective treatments.

Perceptions of mental illness among Muslim general practitioners in South Africa

“…Furthermore, three participants very rarely referred patients to psychiatrists, preferring psychologists because patients 'just needed a space to talk' . This is in agreement with previous findings in the SA context, [2,9] which have indicated that people prefer to receive counselling rather than medication, particularly for mental illnesses such as depression.…”

“…Given the high prevalence of stigmatisation and lack of knowledge about mental illness, the participants in our study felt that campaigns to increase awareness were needed in Lenasia. Similarly, Mavundla et al [13] and Sorsdahl and Stein [9] have recommended that educational programmes are needed to inform communities about the causes of mental illness, coping methods and the importance of counselling and medication, as well as cultural conceptualisations of mental illness.…”

“…[8] These results concur with studies in the SA context, where psychosocial factors, notably stress, have been identified as a major cause of mental disorders. [3,9] Stigma, secrecy and somatisation Most participants acknowledged that mental illness is often stigmatised in the Lenasia community. All mentioned that their patients tended to keep mental illness a secret from their families as well as from the community at large.…”

Mental Health Services in South Africa: Scaling up and future directions

“…46 In a study investigating barriers to treatment in a nationally representative study in South Africa, the most common reason for not accessing mental health services was a low perceived need for treatment (93%). 47 Mental health literacy in South Africa has been investigated in community samples 48,49 , and in an HIV population. 50 This work indicates that common mental disorders are viewed as the result of everyday life challenges, rather than as treatable conditions.…”

Beliefs and Attitudes Among Italian High School Students Toward People With Severe Mental Disorders

“…People often refrain from finding the support and the care they need for fear of having negative labels attached to them by relatives or friends as a result of their mental health status Thornicroft, 2008). Negative attitudes are particularly strong against the use of drugs to treat mental disorders (Jenkins and Carpenter-Song, 2009;Sorsdahl and Stein, 2010). For example, the use of antidepressants to treat depression is often perceived as a sign of emotional weakness and inability to deal with problems (Castaldelli-Maia et al, 2011).…”