Stigma towards psychiatric disorders in a sample of depressed females in two different communities

Abstract

IntroductionStigma and discrimination experienced by persons suffering from mental illness, unlike other medical conditions, recognized as a barrier in countries rich and poor, and in countries with well-developed mental health services and those with limited services. It was hypothesized that depression may affect patients’ attitude towards mental illness “public stigma” as well as self-stigmatization and that there will be a difference between Egyptians and Germans.AimsThis study sets out to identify and compare public–and self-stigma among depressed women in two different communities.ObjectivesTo test findings from transcultural comparative study of two patient groups of depressed women from two different communities. Participants were 50 adult females diagnosed with depression from Egypt and Germany.MethodParticipants completed after clinical interviewing and diagnosis with depression two questionnaires: the inventory of attitude towards mental illness (Shokeer, 2002) and the explanatory model interview catalogue EMIC (Weis et al., 2001).ResultsAnalysis indicates that positive attitudes towards mental illness were more for the German respondents than for the Egyptians. There were significant differences between the two groups in the causal attributions of mental illness. Psychotherapy was widely accepted in the two groups as a helpful method for treatment of mental illness.ConclusionIt was concluded that the traditional beliefs affect the understanding of illness causality and that the subjective experience of depression may affect attitude towards mental illness and mentally ill people. The effect of the social desirability is discussed.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.