Personal and perceived depression stigma in Australian adolescents: Magnitude and predictors

Abstract

Background Depression stigma has been identified as a barrier to help-seeking in adolescents. This study aimed to examine and compare levels of personal and perceived depression stigma amongst Australian adolescents and to identify predictors of these constructs. Methods A total of 1,375 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years ( M = 14.34) completed the Depression Stigma Scale (DSS) and a number of other sociodemographic and symptom scale measurements as part of the pre-intervention questionnaire of the YouthMood Project. Results Levels of perceived stigma ( M = 20.53, SD = 5.06) were significantly higher than levels of personal stigma ( M = 14.48, SD = 5.28). Higher personal stigma was predicted by being male ( p < .001), younger ( p = .01), living with both parents ( p = .02), having no history of depression ( p < .001), having no history of parental depression ( p < .01), speaking English as a second language ( p < .001), lower levels of mastery ( p < .01), and higher levels of alcohol consumption ( p < .001) and perceived stigma ( p < .001). Higher perceived stigma was predicted by being female ( p = .02), having a history of parental depression ( p = .05), and higher levels of anxiety ( p < .001) and personal stigma ( p < .001). Limitations Participants completed a self-report cross-sectional survey, which does not allow temporal relationships to be drawn. Conclusions Stigmatising attitudes are common amongst the adolescent population. The identified predictors of stigma should be considered in the development of future community campaigns to reduce stigma in adolescents.