Stigma Of Illness Research Articles

Study to determine the epidemiology of treatment-resistant depression among the Saudi Arabian population: A cross-sectional study.

Depression is a common mental health disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Globally, major depressive disorder (MDD) is a public health concern; nearly, it affects more than 300 million people. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown, travel restrictions, social distancing, and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance have aggravated psychological disorders, such as depression and suicidal tendencies. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is typically defined as a lack of response to at least two different antidepressant medications or psychotherapies. TRD is common and has been associated with higher comorbidities and prolonged duration of illness, leading to a substantial medical and economic burden. A cross-sectional study was designed to determine the epidemiology and estimate the prevalence of TRD in Abha City, Assir Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study includes adult patients who were attended to the psychiatry department and aged 18-65 years diagnosed with major depressive depression. A total of 651 study participants were recruited. Of the total 651 depressive disorder cases, 134 (20.6%) were reported as TRD and the remaining 517 (79.4%) were nontreatment-resistant depressive cases. Of the 651 depression participants, 176 (27%) were males and 475 (73%) were females. More than one-quarter (180 (28%)) had been associated with chronic morbidity. One-tenth of the depressive patients were suffering from thyroid disorders, followed by hypertension (10%), autoimmune diseases (10%), and diabetes mellitus (8%). TRD emerged as a threat to public health and challenging psychiatric care providers, and further innovative techniques and effective newer drugs to treat depression need to be researched. The treatment complaint mechanism is warranted, encouraging people to get treatment from the psychiatrist by removing the stigma of mental illness, which is needed to improve the quality of life of TRD patients.

Impact of Opt-Out Therapy Appointments on Resident Physicians' Mental Health, Well-Being, Stigma, and Willingness to Engage.

Background Health care professionals report higher levels of mental health symptoms, pandemic-related stress, personal health concerns, and reduced proactive coping, especially in recent years marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. As physician utilization rates of mental health and well-being services remain low, the need for preemptive care is crucial. Objective The present study sought to ascertain satisfaction, value, and attitude toward future mental health services among resident physicians. Methods Throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, resident physicians within 8 training programs at a large academic training hospital were offered single opt-out mental health appointments from hospital-funded, graduate medical education wellness staff at no cost to the resident. Appointments were conducted virtually during protected work time. A survey was sent to participants within 2 weeks following their appointment. Results A total of 153 residents (postgraduate years 1 to 7) were offered one-time opt-out appointments. Overall, 91 (59%) residents attended their opt-out appointments. Survey response rate was 57% (n=52). Respondents reported high levels of satisfaction (96%, 50 of 52), felt the appointment was worth their time (96%, 50 of 52), and felt that the opt-out appointments demonstrated training programs cared about their well-being (94%, 49 of 52). Nearly all residents (98%, 51 of 52) recommended appointments be offered to future residents. Most respondents (80%, 42 of 52) indicated that appointments increased their willingness to engage in mental health services. Conclusions Opt-out appointments increased resident willingness to engage in mental health services, positive attitudes toward future mental health services, perceived training program's care about their well-being, and reduced perceived mental illness stigma.

Testing the interconnectedness hypothesis: A longitudinal examination of the association between interconnected explanation and accountability on mental illness stigma.

Testing the interconnectedness hypothesis: A longitudinal examination of the association between interconnected explanation and accountability on mental illness stigma.

The Saint Louis bridges program: A mental health network of more than one hundred churches and the mental health community

This article describes the history and development of a faith-based mental health network of over one hundred Black churches in North St Louis City and County. The Bridges to Care and Recovery (BCR) program is a joint effort of the Black faith community, three community hospitals, local universities, a school of medicine and funding from the city /state departments of mental health. The mission of BCR is to improve the fragmented mental health services to the Black community and to address the stigma of mental illness. This innovative program provides a blueprint for other metropolitan areas to emulate. The present paper is a detailed description of the key elements and services of the Bridges program.

Stigma and Discrimination of family care giver's (FCG) – A Barrier in mental illness: Scoping Review

Mental disorders are considered as invisible disorders as they are overlooked by patients, caregivers, health professionals, and policymakers yet cause significant health burdens. People with mental illness are subjected to high levels of stigma and discrimination because of widely held misconceptions about the causes and nature of mental illness. varies from 43% to 83%. Stigma and discrimination can occur in one or the other form. The co-occurrence of five components of stigma includes labelling, stereotyping, separation, status loss, and discrimination”. Literature identifies different types of mental health-related stigma, including self-stigma, public stigma, professional stigma, and institutional stigma. Stigma in mental illness is a serious social problem that has a multitude of consequences on the individual concerned and his or her family. This paper throws light on the extent, problems associated, consequence and strategies to overcome stigma and burden among family caregivers so that the family members consider mental illness as disease which requires treatment.

Internalized Mental Illness Stigma is Linked to Suicidality in Rural Indian Adults with Depression or Anxiety and Chronic Physical Illness.

Mental illness (MI) remains stigmatized globally, including in India, where suicide and suicidality have been rising. Internalization of society's negative stereotypes by people with MI is known as internalized MI stigma. The present paper examined the prevalence of internalized MI stigma in a large sample of rural Indian participants with comorbid chronic medical conditions and previously undiagnosed, mostly mild-to-moderate depression/anxiety. It further examined correlates of internalized MI stigma and its association with suicidality. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at four-time points with adults with depression/anxiety and chronic physical illness in primary health centers in Ramanagaram, Karnataka. Topics included demographics, social support, depression (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire scale), anxiety (7-item General Anxiety Disorder scale), suicidality (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview), and internalized MI stigma (Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness [ISMI] scale). Data analysis included linear and hierarchical logistic regression. At baseline, 29.1% of participants showed a high level of internalized stigma, and 10.4% exhibited at least moderate suicidality. Hierarchical logistic regression showed that every 1-point increase on the ISMI scale more than tripled the odds of moderate to high suicidality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.24). Those being at least moderately depressed/anxious were 2.4 times more likely to be at least moderately suicidal than participants with no-mild depression/anxiety. Social support lowered the odds of suicidality (AOR 0.44). Internalized MI stigma and suicidality were substantial among these rural adults with mostly mild-to-moderate anxiety/depression. Higher stigma was associated with increased suicidality, independently of depression/anxiety. Therefore, efforts to reduce internalized MI stigma should be included in mental health treatment.

Factor structure and reliability of the Greek version of Attitudes Towards Mentally Ill Offenders (ΑΤΜΙΟ) Scale in a general population sample.

Mentally ill offenders constitute a group with a unique set of characteristics since they are doubly stigmatized by both their mental illness and the offence they have committed. The coexistence of these two circumstances significantly heightens negative public attitudes towards these people. The group of mentally ill offenders has been shown to elicit more stigmatic attitudes than offenders without a mental health condition. Nevertheless, research on stigma towards mentally ill offenders is rather limited, while the number of psychometric tools used to measure this stigma is even smaller compared to the number of relevant tools assessing mental illness stigma. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes towards mentally ill offenders in a Greek sample in terms of demographic characteristics, and at the same time to assess the psychometric properties of a specialized tool on stigma towards this patient group, namely the Attitudes Towards Mentally Ill Offenders (ΑΤΜΙΟ) scale in Greek. The study included 1031 participants from the general population who completed an online questionnaire on sociodemographic data as well as the ATMIO scale. The scale's structural validity was tested on the basis of the exploratory factor analysis after Quartimax rotation, and the internal relevance of its factors recorded a Cronbach's alpha value of more than 0.7, both for the whole scale and its individual factors. It was shown that more negative stereotypes towards mentally ill offenders were correlated with less compassion and less desire for their rehabilitation, with stronger belief and conviction that they represent a danger to the community, with less diminished responsibility, and a lot fewer positive attitudes in general. Women, older people, individuals with a lower education level and participants with children were found to hold more negative attitudes. The ATMIO scale translated in Greek is the first tool to measure attitudes towards mentally ill offenders in the country and shows satisfactory internal consistency and interpretation of its four-factor structure. It is a comprehensible and easy-to-complete scale, which can become a reliable tool to record attitudes towards mentally ill offenders also in our country.

Precision medicine: how to approach the adolescent asthmatic

It is well known that adolescent patients often have less than optimal outcomes. Adolescence is a time of much transition, physically, emotionally, and socially all of which have effects on asthma management and outcomes. Pubertal changes affect asthma, but mostly it is the move towards independence from the parents, peer pressures, stigma of illness, and adherence issues that cause the issue. It is thus important to learn to treat the patient directly, wherein currently often children are treated through the parent, to ensure success.

Stigma Toward Substance Dependence: Causes, Consequences, and Potential Interventions

Substance dependence is a prevalent and urgent public health problem. In 2021, 60 million Americans reported abusing alcohol within the month prior to being surveyed, and nearly 20 million Americans reported using illegal drugs (e.g., heroin) or prescription drugs (e.g., opioids) for nonmedical reasons in the year before. Drug-involved overdose rates have been steadily increasing over the past 20 years. This increase has been primarily driven by opioid and stimulant use. Despite its prevalence, drug dependence is one of the most stigmatized health conditions. Stigma has myriad negative consequences for its targets, including limiting their access to employment and housing, disrupting interpersonal relationships, harming physical and mental health, and reducing help-seeking. However, because research on stigma toward people with substance use disorders (SUDs) is relatively sparse compared with research on stigma toward other mental illnesses, the field lacks a comprehensive understanding of the causes and consequences of SUD stigma. Moreover, it remains unclear how, if at all, these factors differ from other types of mental illness stigma. The goal of this review is to take stock of the literature on SUD stigma, providing a clear set of foundational principles and a blueprint for future research and translational activity.

Arabic validation of the "Mental Health Knowledge Schedule" and the "Reported and Intended Behavior Scale".

Mental illness affects one in eight people in the world according to the WHO. It is a leading cause of morbidity and a major public health problem. Stigma harms the quality of life of people with mental illness. This study aimed at validating the Arabic version of the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS) and the Reported and Intended Behavior Scale (RIBS) in a sample of Tunisian students and determining socio-demographic and clinical factors correlated with stigma. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 2,501 Tunisian students who filled in the MAKS, the RIBS, and a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire. The validation of the questionnaires in Arabic was carried out using the validity criteria: face and content validity, reliability, and construct validity. Next, the associations between stigma and sample characteristics have been studied using multivariate linear regression. Face and content validity of the measures MAKS and RIBS were satisfactory, with adequate internal consistency. There were significant positive correlations between the items and scales, and test-retest reliability was excellent. The internal validity showed that the items were well-aligned with the intended factors, and the external validity revealed a significant positive relationship between the MAKS and RIBS. Besides, gender, the field of study, psychiatric history, and contact with someone with a mental illness were all contributing factors to mental illness stigma. Additionally, men performed better than women in terms of behavior toward people with mental illness, while women had a greater level of knowledge about mental health. The Arabic versions of the MAKS and RIBS have appropriate psychometric properties, making them effective tools for evaluating mental illness stigma. With multiple factors contributing to this issue, these instruments can help focus anti-stigma efforts and promote a more inclusive society.

Well-being, turnover intention, and stigma attitudes of mental health transition-to-practice nurses: A cross-sectional study.

There is global recognition that mental health nursing can be stressful and have detrimental effects on nurses' well-being and retention. With substantial nursing shortages, there is an urgent need to attract and retain nurses to sustain this workforce and provide effective mental healthcare. Mental health transition programs provide vital recruitment pathways and support novice registered nurses, enrolled nurses and experienced registered generalist nurses moving into this field. There is little evidence, however, on the well-being, resilience, and retention of nurses transitioning into mental health. The primary aims for this cross-sectional study were to describe demographic characteristics, perceived stress, well-being, resilience, mental illness stigma attitudes, work satisfaction, and turnover intention of four nurse cohorts entering mental health transition programs: generalist registered nurses, graduate and post-graduate registered nurses, and enrolled nurses; to explore relationships between these variables; and explore differences between these four nurse cohorts. Findings (n = 87) included overall moderate perceived stress, moderate well-being and resilience, high work satisfaction, low stigma, and low turnover intention. Higher turnover intention was associated with lower age and work satisfaction, and higher perceived stress. Generalist RNs had significantly higher stress and stigmatizing attitudes than Enrolled Nurses. Secondary analysis of well-being scores identified 14 nurses with scores indicating depression, with significantly lower resilience and work satisfaction, and significantly higher stress than the rest of the sample. To help prevent attrition, it is vital that mental health services provide tailored well-being initiatives during transition and intervene early to provide support for nurses with mental distress.

Transcultural Validity of Concept of Internalized Stigma in Patients with Mental Illnesses (Psychometric Properties of Russian Version of Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale)

INTRODUCTION: One of the commonest methods of evaluation of internalized stigma is Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale where the differences in the prevalence and perception of mental stigma in different cultures are specified.
 AIM: Validation of Russian version of ISMI scale and evaluation of peculiarities of perception of stigma by Russian-speaking patients with severe psychiatric disorders.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four hundred thirty nine patients with severe psychiatric disorders (F2 and F3 according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision) were examined. The psychometric properties of the Russian version of ISMI scale were evaluated using internal consistency analysis. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA, respectively) were performed. To check age- and gender-related invariance, MIMIC and MIFA models were used, and discriminative power and accuracy of scoring were identified using generalized partial credit model (GPCM). The results of EFA were compared with the data obtained in the Regional Clinical Hospital (n = 120) using independent alternative version of ISMI translation into Russian.
 RESULTS: The internal consistency of the Russian version of ISMI questionnaire was high: Chronbachs 0.90. EFA permitted to identify 4 factors. The first factor (Demoralization, F1) combined elements corresponding to subscale 1 (Alienation) and subscale 2 (Social withdrawal) of the original version of ISMI questionnaire. The other three factors identified in this study according to the content of the items, corresponded to the remaining subscales of the original ISMI scale. In all kinds of the conducted analysis, item 14 had low factor weight. CFA confirmed the four-factor structure. In the sample, MIMIC and MIFA showed the general age- and gender-related invariance with their insufficient power. GPCM showed good characteristics of discriminative power and difficulties in choice of scoring for all factors except the fourth one (Resistance to stigma). EFA performed on the data of the alternative sample, neither could reliably reproduce the five-factor structure of the original ISMI scale due to eclectic mixing of the items of the original scale within five isolated structures.
 CONCLUSION: The suitability of using the internalized stigma assessment tool for the Russian-speaking population has been confirmed. The study highlights the relevance and necessity of expanding transcultural studies of psychological reactions of psychiatric patients.

Evaluating the effect of an adapted mental health literacy intervention on mental health related stigma among secondary students in Germany: results of a pre-post evaluation study

BackgroundMost mental health problems develop during youth, with about three quarter emerging before age 25. In adolescence, stigmatizing attitudes related to mental illness become more nuanced and consolidate into one’s belief system. As the stigma of mental illness is still one of the leading barriers to help-seeking, intervention measures should explicitly address it before it becomes entrenched over time. Preventive measures, for example, based on promoting mental health literacy (MHL), can be used to address and tackle stigmatizing attitudes. The Canadian MHL-based intervention “the Guide” was translated and adapted for the use in German schools. The present study evaluates the effect of the German version of the Guide on attitudes towards mental illness among students in Germany.MethodsThe first-time application of the Guide (German version) was evaluated with a pre-post-evaluation study with an intervention and a control group. The evaluation data of 188 students (intervention group n = 106, control group n = 82) were statistically analyzed focusing on the outcomes social stigma, social distance, and self-stigma.ResultsThe analysis showed that participants do not tend to hold stigmatizing attitudes even before the intervention. Nevertheless, the intervention was effective in reducing social stigma, but not in reducing social distance and self-stigma. Neither gender, pre-existing experience with mental illness, nor the delivery modality of the contact element within the intervention (speaker vs. video) seemed to influence the outcomes.ConclusionsThe German version of the MHL-based intervention, the Guide, seems to be a suitable intervention to improve attitudes towards mental illness among students in Germany. More extensive research is necessary to confirm the findings and further explore factors that influence the program’s effects on attitudes short- and long-term.

Concrete or Abstract? The Effects of Picture Concreteness and Mental Illness Prevalence on Destigmatizing Mental Illnesses

This study investigated how picture concreteness (cartoon versus photo) and mental illness prevalence level (high versus low) in mental health messages influence mental illness stigma via a within-subjects online experiment (N = 92). Findings revealed that, compared to cartoons, photos elicited greater empathic closeness, decreased social distancing intention (especially for the low-prevalence mental illnesses of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), and increased intention to support mental health policies. Compared to photos, cartoons increased comprehension (especially for the high-prevalence mental illnesses of depression and anxiety) and reduced personal responsibility for mental illness. Messages about high-prevalence mental illnesses compared to low-prevalence mental illnesses elicited more empathic closeness, lower social distancing intention, and higher message dissemination intention.

Mass Media Target Audience and Mental Illness Stigmatization among Students of Kenya Medical Training College

Mass media plays a fundamental role in influencing the society and their perceptions in daily life. The target audience by the media determines the how they frame their message and the subject matter that they focus on in their discussions. As mental illness is becoming one of the contemporary issues in the modern society, the role of mass media particularly how they define their target audience is not adequately explored. This is despite mental illness continuing to ravage the society, especially with the increased stigmatization. This study therefore sought to examine the how mass media target audience impact mental illness stigmatization in among students in Kenya Medical Training College. The study was anchored on the cognitive dissonance theory. Using a descriptive research approach, the study through a questionnaire surveyed 384 students drawn from a population of 51045 students at the college. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS. The findings revealed that mass media target audience through the reduced dissonance, acquisition of new information and cognitive actions significantly impacted the mental illness stigmatization. Through the beliefs towards the mentally ill persons as projected by the mass media to their target audience, the stigmatization of mentally ill persons either increased or decreased depending on the approach used by the mass media. The study concluded that mass media target audience was instrumental in determining the level of stigmatization of the mentally ill persons. It is therefore recommended that the mass media should define their target audience in a manner that positively changes their perceptions towards mental illness.

HELP SEEKING ATTITUDES FOR MENTAL ILLNESSES AMONG UNDER-GRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS IN LAHORE

Objective: The reluctance of medical students to seek help for stress is attributed to a lot of factors involving stigma, their help-seeking attitudes and psychological openness. The objective of this study is to gauge help seeking attitudes for stress and mental health issues among Pakistani medical students. Design: Two questionnaires were used to form a self-administered questionnaire, including Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-5) and Inventory of Attitudes towards Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS). Place & duration of study: Students from King Edward Medical University, Lahore and Fatima Memorial Hospital were administered the questionnaire in physical form as well as an online version. Responses were gathered over a time of 3 months. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in two selected medical colleges in Lahore in 2022. After IRB approval and informed consent, a self-administered questionnaire which included Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-5) and Inventory of Attitudes towards Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS) was utilized for data collection. Analysis was conducted with SPSS 26. Results: Six hundred and forty-one undergraduate medical students participated in the study with majority being female (64.2%) and hostellers (59%). SCL- 5 scores of the participants (mean=13.36, S. D=4.95) showed moderate levels of distress among students. Participants’ mean Attitude Score on IASMHS was 53.66 (S. D=10.72). Attitudes towards help seeking were fairly negative especially with regard to feeling indifferent towards stigma (mean=18.95, S.D=5.69). Student’s attitudes reflected some psychological openness (mean=14.48, S.D=5.35), while propensity to seek help was slightly better (mean=20.23, S.D = 4.75). Females and clinical year students showed more positive attitudes towards help seeking as compared to males and students belonging to pre-clinical years (P<0.05). Conclusion: The study showed that stress among under-graduate medical students remains a significant issue. While female students and clinical years’ students portrayed better help seeking attitudes towards mental illnesses and stress, further studies including interventions to address mental illness stigma are required to improve the trend.

Stereotypes and OCD-Symptom Presentations: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation Using Male-Character Vignettes

Stereotypes toward symptom presentations of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are poorly understood. A mixed-methods, multistudy analysis of OCD stigma was conducted. In Study 1 ( N = 60), participants read one of five vignettes (symmetry/just right, contamination, sexual, harm/aggression, scrupulous OCD) before responding to open-ended questions. Inductive content analyses revealed anxiety-relevant stereotypes (e.g., trivialization) for symmetry/just right and contamination and serious mental-illness stereotypes (e.g., dangerous) for harm/aggression and sexual vignettes. In Study 2 ( N = 698), participants read one of seven vignettes (OCD-symptom presentations, generalized anxiety disorder, schizophrenia) before responding to stigma measures. The sexual, harm/aggression, and schizophrenia vignettes were strongly associated with serious mental-illness stigma. The scrupulous vignette was associated with the most anxiety-relevant stigma. Together, these studies detail stereotype endorsement across OCD-symptom presentations. Stigma-reduction interventions should include psychoeducation and address macro-level stereotypes (i.e., stereotypes that exist across symptom presentations) while enhancing opportunities for contact to mitigate stigma.

When psychiatry encounters local knowledge of madness: Ethnographic observations in a Chinese psychiatric hospital

As the number of psychiatric hospitals are on the rise in China, this article examines how the psychiatric discourse as articulated by hospital staff interacts with local cultural understandings of madness/mental illness, as well as how such interactions impact patients and families’ reception of psychiatry. Data comes from 16 months of fieldwork in a psychiatric hospital in South China. We show that psychiatric professionals at the hospital attempted to establish their professional authority by discrediting other cultural epistemologies embraced by patients or families, such as religious and traditional Chinese medical understandings. Despite the quick effect of psychopharmaceuticals to control symptoms, the psychiatric perspective ultimately fell short in addressing the social and moral struggles faced by patients, such as patriarchy and gender-based violence. Moreover, as psychiatric professionals unreflexively used certain problematic local concepts to convey a biomedical and even genetically-determined account of mental illness to patients and families, they risked entrenching the stigma of mental illness and disempowering their clients. To improve the quality of mental healthcare, to make clients feel culturally safe and respected in clinical encounters, psychiatric professionals in China should develop a more holistic approach that takes into account the biological, psychological, and sociocultural aspects of mental illness, that recognizes the diverse sources of help clients may rely on. They should also develop a critical awareness of the language they use and of the power dynamics in which they and their clients are situated.

Humanised care in acute psychiatric hospitalisation units: Definition, values and strategic initiatives from the perspective of persons with mental health problems, primary carers and professionals.

Humanised care refers to the holistic approach to the person, considering their bio-psycho-social and behavioural dimensions. It becomes more complex when the person has mental health problems that may affect his or her will, cognition and relationship to the world. The literature on the humanisation of mental health is scarce and only offers the view of professionals. To analyse the concept, values and strategic initiatives of humanised care in acute psychiatric units from the perspective of persons with mental health problems, carers and professionals. Qualitative grounded-theory approach. Data were collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews among persons with mental health problems, carers and professionals. Thirteen focus groups and three in-depth staff interviews were performed, with a total of 61 participants. Humanised care is defined as quality care of an individualised, ethical and safe nature, empowering persons/carers to involve them in their health process, helping them resist the stigma of mental illness through a therapeutic relationship, bond and communication. Formal training, teamwork and effective communication are required. Six values and strategic initiatives were identified. Each value and strategic initiatives acquires full meaning when connected with the rest. Without this interconnection, humanised care would be impossible.

Childhood trauma and self-stigma in mood disorders

Childhood maltreatment and mood disorders are associated and linked to self-stigma. In this study, we assessed the relationship between childhood trauma and self-stigma in patients with mood disorders. Patients with bipolar disorder (n ​= ​69) and unipolar disorder (n ​= ​111) were recruited from the Mood Disorders Unit of the Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland. All participants underwent a semi-structured interview to assess mood disorder and fulfilled the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The results showed that overall self-stigma was not significantly different between the groups. Linear regression modeling revealed that the ISMI total score was significantly associated with the CTQ total score (estimate ​= ​0.01, p ​= ​0.045). Our findings support the assumption that childhood trauma promotes the development of self-stigma in patients with mood disorders. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of assessing childhood trauma in the management of self-stigma in patients with unipolar and bipolar disorder.