Stigmatizing attitudes towards depression among university students in Syria

Abstract

Background Depression is a prominent cause of mental disability globally, having a severe impact on mental and physical health. Depression rehabilitation and treatment, whether through psychiatric management or counseling therapy, is hampered by stigmatizing attitudes regarding psychiatric illness patients impacted by societal and cultural factors. However, little is known about the stigma toward people with depression among the students in Syria. Methodology A total of 1,056 students in Syria completed a questionnaire that included a case narrative illustrating depression. A total of 1,056 students in Syria completed a questionnaire that included a case narrative illustrating depression. The survey looked at attitudes toward depression, the desire to keep a safe distance from depressed people, stigma attitudes toward people with depression among college students, perceived beliefs about depressive people, gender (male and female), and the major section (medical and medical and non-medical) differences. Results Four questionnaires have refused to finish the survey, out of 1259 issued. Around 47.80% of respondents, most of whom were females, felt that sad people might snap out of it. 14.60 percent believe depression isn’t even an actual medical condition. Surprisingly, 2% of respondents with a medical background thought the same thing. Regarding more extreme stigmatization, 16.80% of respondents thought depressed persons were harmful. People with depression will be avoided by 19.50 percent of respondents, and people with medical backgrounds will be avoided by 5.20 percent of respondents. Nearly one-fifth of those polled said they would not tell anyone if they were depressed. Only a tiny percentage of respondents (6.90 percent) said they would not hire or vote for a politician who suffers from depression (8.40 percent). Conclusion According to the study, Syrian college students had a significant level of stigma and social distance toward mentally ill patients. Female students and non-medical students had a higher stigma in most subscale items for people with depression.

Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward Patients with mental Disorders Among students in Jordan Universities

“…[48], [49] When it comes to stigma towards depression, In the current study in Jordan we found similar results to the study conducted in Syria, indicating that female students and medical students have a higher level of stigmatizing attitudes towards depression . [37]This nding is consistent with other studies that have shown gender and major differences in attitudes towards mental illness [50].perceived stigma was reported to be higher in females in previous studies from Australia [51], [52], While [53]discovered that males stigmatize their peers with mental health problems more than females. This could be because males perceive mental health problems as a sign of weakness rather than illness, and males believe they should be able to manage their psychiatric problems on their own.…”

“…[35], [36] The results indicated that the patterns of personal stigma and perceived stigma varied between schizophrenia, depression, and GAD. The beliefs that people with the problem are dangerous and unpredictable were signi cantly higher for the schizophrenia vignette and much higher than in other studies about stigma among university students [35], [37]. With the development of internet media in recent years, media reports about violence related to schizophrenia may have contributed to the perception of dangerousness.…”

“…With the level of intimacy of the activity, the desire for social distance increased. [43], [44][35], [37] Jordanian university students face signi cant stigma surrounding mental health issues, and this stigma can prevent them from seeking help when they need it. Our study found that university students in Jordan typically get their mental health education from websites, books, and other people, while mostly seeking help from psychiatrists, praying to God, practice relaxation techniques like yoga and turning to family and friends for support in terms of coping mechanisms.…”

An extensive analysis and mapping of research landscape on stigma in mental disorders.

“…The findings from the result section highlight the contribution of various countries, including low-and middle-income countries, to the field of stigma in mental disorders (Alemu et al, 2023;Javed et al, 2021;Sewilam et al, 2015;Shehata & Abdeldaim, 2020;Swed et al, 2022). This global participation signifies the recognition of stigma as a universal phenomenon that affects individuals This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.…”

The Stigmatizing Attitudes of Syrian University Students Toward Schizophrenia

“…A study from the UK [12] showed that university students have little understanding of schizophrenia, and stigma is common. Researchers have discovered that stigmatizing sentiments persist in the broader public, especially among students [13][14][15][16]. Our study was meant to find out how common public stigma about schizophrenia, including personal and perceived stigma, was among a group of Syrian college students and what caused it.…”