Stigma toward mental illness in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review

Abstract

Artículo de publicación ISIObjective: Stigma toward individuals with mental disorders has been studied extensively. In the case of Latin America and the Caribbean, the past decade has been marked by a significant increase in information on stigma toward mental illness, but these findings have yet to be applied to mental health services in Latin America. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies relating to stigma toward mental illness in Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors specifically considered differences in this region as compared with manifestations reported in Western European countries. Methods: A systematic search of scientific papers was conducted in the PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCO, SciELO, LILACS, Imbiomed, and Bireme databases. The search included articles published from 2002 to 2014. Results: Twenty-six studies from seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were evaluated and arranged into the following categories: public stigma, consumer stigma, family stigma, and multiple stigmas. Conclusion: We identified some results similar to those reported in high-income settings. However, some noteworthy findings concerning public and family stigma differed from those reported in Western European countries. Interventions designed to reduce mental illness-related stigma in this region may benefit from considering cultural dynamics exhibited by the Latino population.National Institute of Mental Health U19MH09571

Stigma towards people with a diagnosis of severe mental disorder in primary healthcare centers: perspectives of service users and health teams in Chile

“…In Latin America, there is little information about how stigma occurs in different populations, especially in healthcare professionals [23]. In a recent systematic review on the subject in South America, it was found that there were some differences in how public and family stigma was expressed in contrast to Western European countries [24]. For example, it was determined that there were more attitudes of compassion and benevolence associated with the Latin American culture due to the social capital of these groups.…”

“…For example, it was determined that there were more attitudes of compassion and benevolence associated with the Latin American culture due to the social capital of these groups. Hence, the conclusion was that interventions must include the cultural dynamics of the Latin American population [24].…”

Living with bipolar disorder in Chile: A qualitative study

“…There are some aspects to consider for anti‐stigma interventions such as the influence of gender issues, and the strength of the family and its role as a protective but at the same time discriminatory agent. These along with the attitudes of benevolence and solidarity are critical (Mascayano et al ). Additionally, the culture‐specific stigma that measures to facilitate addressing critical barriers in the implementation of mental health services in Chile has been proposed by Yang et al ().…”

“…Stigma resulting from the disease is another relevant area to analyse in order to understand better this phenomenon. In Latin America, stigma is expressed with important local differences (Mascayano et al ). In Chile, the mental illness stigma plays a crucial role in reinforcing the lack of treatment opportunities and social isolation that individuals commonly encounter.…”

Mind-Body-Inviroment Connection and More: Not Only How Emotional Health Affects Physical Health and Viceversa

“…En la actualidad, si bien es cierto que las enfermedades no transmisibles se están convirtiendo en los problemas de salud preponderantes en todas las regiones en vías de desarrollo, el reporte de la carga global de enfermedades ha revelado la gran escala de contribución de los desórdenes mentales, siendo los estados neurológicos y psiquiátricos los que más contribuyen a dicha carga total, incluso más que el cáncer y las enfermedades cardiovasculares 10,11 . Esto lleva a pensar que sigue siendo menester sobretodo en Latinoamérica, mejorar los esfuerzos en la atención médica adecuada en especial a nivel primario, fortalecer el desarrollo de los servicios en el área de salud mental para la comunidad y contribuir a la reducción del estigma asociado con los trastornos mentales todavía presentes en varias de las regiones 12,13 .…”