Public stigma and schizophrenia in São Paulo city

Abstract

Objective: To assess public stigma in relation to people with schizophrenia and possible factors associated with this phenomenon. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a probabilistic sample of 500 individuals who live in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and are aged between 18 and 65 years. A structured questionnaire was used, and it was applied in person. Questionnaire began with the presentation of a vignette describing an individual with schizophrenia (according to DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria). This was followed by questions that assessed perceived negative reactions and discrimination, perceived dangerousness and emotional reactions in relation to the case presented in the vignette. Results: People with schizophrenia were perceived as potentially dangerous by 74.2% of interviewees. In addition, 59.0% of the sample perceived them as capable of arousing negative reactions, and 57.2% as capable of arousing discrimination in society. However, emotional reactions reported by the interviewees themselves were mainly pro-social in nature. The most important factors associated with these responses were: attribution of "biological" causes and perceived dangerousness. Conclusion: This study indicated that beliefs related to public stigma towards people with schizophrenia are commonly held in São Paulo city. An important focus for future studies is to investigate the scope and impact of public stigma on the everyday experiences of people with schizophrenia in the Brazilian context. Descriptors

An ethnography exploring the quality of life of people living with schizophrenia in Zimbabwe: Implications for health service policy and practice

“…Findings from our study have several implications for policy and practice and highlight opportunities for further research. Consistent with research from Africa [56,82] and elsewhere [71,83] context. This may cause the public to be fearful and increase their propensity to discriminate against people with schizophrenia [52,57].…”

Social Exclusion of People Who Suffer from Mental Disorders: A Proposal for an Explanatory Model

“…As proposed, beliefs form the basis for prejudice and threat perception with respect to mental disorders, confirming Hypothesis 1. Indeed, some studies have shown that information about the origin of mental disorders is associated with positive or negative attitudes towards people with mental disorders, depending on the belief in question (Haslam, 2011;Peluso & Blay, 2011;Read et al, 2006). As noted above, belief in the biological nature of mental disorders led to a lower perception of threat.…”

Um estudo longitudinal sobre a influência do internato em saúde mental na redução de atitudes negativas de estudantes de Medicina em relação a portadores de transtornos mentais

“…Em um grande estudo conduzido em São Paulo, Peluso et al encontraram preconceito significativo a PTMs com esquizofrenia, assim como associação entre violência e depressão pela população geral 10,11 . Estudando o medo direcionado a PTMs, Scazufca et al demonstraram que idosos com quadro depressivo são identificados como potencialmente perigosos por profissionais de saúde 12 .…”