Abstract
BackgroundThere are barely any studies focusing on migration in relation to mental illness stigma. We explore present attitudes regarding depression among migrants (either born in Germany or born abroad) and non-migrants in Germany, drawing upon three components of public stigma: stereotypes, emotional reactions and desire for social distance. Furthermore, differences in self-stigma of depression between the two groups are analyzed.MethodsAnalyses are based on a representative telephone survey (N = 2013) in Germany. Respondents were presented with a vignette depicting either someone from Turkey or from Germany affected by depression, followed by questions on stereotypes, emotional reactions and desire for social distance. The (anticipated) self-stigma of depression was also assessed. Analyses of variance tested for differences between migrant and non-migrant respondents, stratified by migrant status in the vignette.ResultsRegarding the depression vignette depicting a non-migrant, there were only few differences between subgroups. However, when presented with a vignette describing someone from Turkey, respondents with migrant background who were foreign-born expressed greater stigmatizing attitudes, e.g. when it comes to stereotypes or desire for social distance. Furthermore, this subsample displayed higher levels of self-stigma of depression, especially regarding the ascription of own responsibility.ConclusionsThe results underline the need to incorporate migration status/ethnicity in stigma research. Differences in attitudes as well as in (anticipated) self-stigma of depression identify foreign-born migrants in Germany as important target groups for tailored anti-stigma interventions, which need to consider diverse cultural backgrounds.
Highlights
There are barely any studies focusing on migration in relation to mental illness stigma
Respondents of migrant background were younger and had a higher educational level when compared to non-migrants
If the person presented in the depression vignette was from Turkey, foreign-born migrants significantly more often rated her or him as being scary when compared to non-migrants
Summary
There are barely any studies focusing on migration in relation to mental illness stigma. We explore present attitudes regarding depression among migrants (either born in Germany or born abroad) and non-migrants in Germany, drawing upon three components of public stigma: stereotypes, emotional reactions and desire for social distance. Public stigma of mental illness can be assessed by different components such as the ascription of attributes (stereotypes), emotional response upon meeting a person with mental disorder (e.g. anger, fear or pity) or the desire to socially distance oneself. There are barely any studies which compare public beliefs and attitudes regarding psychiatric disorders across different cultures [2]. Migration in relation to mental illness stigma has rarely been examined. This association can be considered from two perspectives.
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