Perceptions of positive treatment and discrimination towards people with mental health problems: Findings from the 2017 Attitudes to Mental Illness survey

Significant Others and Not Family or Friend Support Mediate Between Stigma and Discrimination Among People Living With HIV in Lagos State, Nigeria: A Cross-sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Approximately 70% of the 37.7 million people living with HIV (PLWH) globally reside in sub-Saharan Africa and 10% of the global HIV burden is in Nigeria. PLWH encounter stigma and discrimination. Limited support from family, friends, and significant others increases stigma and discrimination among PLWH. This study sought to understand how support from family, friends, and significant others mediates stigma and discrimination in the Nigerian context. This descriptive cross-sectional study enrolled 396 PLWH from six health facilities between June and July 2021 in Lagos State, Nigeria. Stigma, discrimination, and social support were assessed. On average, participants were 32 years of age and female. Increased social support was associated with reduced stigma and discrimination. Support from participants' significant others was found to mediate the relationship between stigma and discrimination.

Spanish adaptation and validation of the Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale (PMHSS-24)

INTRODUCTION

There is currently a growing interest in interventions aimed at the reduction of stigma towards people with emotional difficulties in adolescents. Unfortunately, the number of scales available in Spanish to assess stigma at these ages is limited. This paper aims to adapt and validate the scale of stigmatizing attitudes towards mental health among peers (Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale PMHSS-24).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 443 adolescents (46.6% female and 53.7% male) between 13 and 17 years of age participated (M_age = 14.64; SD = 0.83) in the 3rd and 4th grades of Obligatory Secondary Education. The internal consistency of the test was calculated, an exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) was performed with half of the sample and a confirmatory one (CFA) with the other half, and the invariance of measurement of the scale through sex was found.

RESULTS

The EFA showed a two-factor structure for the negative scale (53% of the variance explained) and another 2 for the positive scale (62% of the variance explained). The CFA corroborated the factor structure with appropriate goodness-of-fit indicators (CFI > 0.95; NNFI > 0.95, SRMR < 0.08, RMSEA < 0.08). Factor loads ranged from 0.49 to 0.89, with α factor correlation between r = 0.53 and 0.45. Both subscales exhibited optimal alpha values (negative 0.94 and positive 0.81). The scale was invariant between the sexes.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest that PMHSS-24 may be a useful scale for the initial screening of the stereotypes exhibited by adolescents toward people with mental illness.

Adapting to People With Schizophrenia: A Phenomenological Study on a Rural Society in Indonesia

BACKGROUND

The growing prevalence of schizophrenia in Indonesia requires the consideration of the families, caregivers, health care professionals, and the entire society, to serve as a support and coping resource for the patients. The process of recovery is rather difficult, especially in the absence of a decent place to live. Hence, there is the need to provide a supportive environment that facilitates recuperation from psychotic symptoms, enhances interaction with others, promotes self-expression of thoughts and feelings, and helps deal with daily stress and challenges. There are currently no studies on the framework of societal adaptation for people with schizophrenia (PWS). The aim of this research, therefore, was to explore the experiences of rural society inhabitants in adapting to PWS in Indonesia.

METHODS

The study uses a qualitative research design and implements an interpretive phenomenological approach. A total of ten society members were recruited from the community by purposive sampling, and the in-depth interviews conducted were audio-recorded and transcribed. In addition, thematic analysis was carried out using the interpretive phenomenological analysis method.

RESULTS

The majority of the participants assumed that PWS prompt the feeling of alertness over fear. In addition, the participants revealed a feeling of indecisiveness in related situations and emphasized the value of keeping up traditional beliefs and practices and the effectiveness of a demonstration of indifference. They explained the need to combine traditional and modern health practices as recommended by the spiritual leaders.

CONCLUSION

Societal adaptation to PWS entails the understanding of how to deal with the disease's uncertainty and complexity. It is important to create a supportive environment to promote mental health and wellbeing.

Spanish adaptation and validation of the Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale (PMHSS-24)

INTRODUCTION

There is currently a growing interest in interventions aimed at the reduction of stigma towards people with emotional difficulties in adolescents. Unfortunately, the number of scales available in Spanish to assess stigma at these ages is limited. This paper aims to adapt and validate the scale of stigmatizing attitudes towards mental health among peers (Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale PMHSS-24).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 443 adolescents (46.6% female and 53.7% male) between 13 and 17 years of age participated (Mage=14.64; SD=.83) in the 3rd and 4th grades of Obligatory Secondary Education. The internal consistency of the test was calculated, an exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) was performed with half of the sample and a confirmatory one (CFA) with the other half, and the invariance of measurement of the scale through sex was found.

RESULTS

The EFA showed a two-factor structure for the negative scale (53% of the variance explained) and another 2for the positive scale (62% of the variance explained). The CFA corroborated the factor structure with appropriate goodness-of-fit indicators (CFI>.95; NNFI>.95, SRMR<.08, RMSEA<.08). Factor loads ranged from .49 to .89, with α factor correlation between r=.53 and .45. Both subscales exhibited optimal alpha values (negative .94 and positive .81). The scale was invariant between the sexes.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest that PMHSS-24 may be a useful scale for the initial screening of the stereotypes exhibited by adolescents toward people with mental illness.

The association between employers' mental health literacy and attitudes towards hiring people with mental illness

BACKGROUND

Research has shown that employers' negative attitudes about hiring people with mental illness is due to stigma. While social contact has been proved to be effective for improving prejudicial attitudes, the influence of knowledge about mental illness on attitudes has been unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between employers' mental health literacy and their experience or intention of hiring people with mental illness.

METHODS

A web-based survey was conducted with Japanese employers. The survey included questions regarding participants' knowledge about mental illness and whether they had hired those with mental illness.

RESULTS

Seven hundred employers participated in the survey. Among participants, while depression was widely recognized and understood according to medical criteria, schizophrenia was not well known. Thirty-five per cent of participants had hired people with mental illness. Those having experience of employing them were more knowledgeable about mental illness. Participants wanting to employ people with mental illness also possessed greater mental health literacy than those who did not want to do so.

CONCLUSIONS

Employers' better mental health literacy could lead to hiring people with mental illness. However, as the relationships between the literacy and employment attitudes are complex, further research is needed.