Stigma Attitudes Research Articles

"As time passes, her disability becomes severe." The struggles and challenges of caring for children living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus in Uganda: perspectives from caregivers.

Spina bifida and hydrocephalus (SBH) are common neural tube defects that cause brain and spinal cord damage leading to loss of sensation, paralysis, deformities, and bladder/bowel dysfunction. Children with these conditions require substantial caregiving support. However, the specific challenges caregivers face remains poorly understood. This study explored the experiences of parents and siblings caring for a child or young adult with SBH. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 parents and 12 siblings in Central Uganda to understand their caregiving experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify key challenges. Caregivers reported significant challenges, including lack of knowledge about the condition, stigma and negative attitudes, inadequate healthcare services, lack of social support, financial strain, and difficulties managing health and hygiene. These challenges also disrupted their employment, schooling, and overall well-being. Caregivers face challenges such as limited resources, stigma, and financial strain, affecting both their well-being and the quality of care provided. Addressing these barriers requires improved healthcare services, greater community awareness, and enhanced social and financial support. Strengthening support systems for parents and siblings is essential to improving care and health outcomes for children. Targeted interventions are needed to better support caregivers and mitigate the burden of caregiving.

Attitude toward mental illness among a sample of medical students and non-psychiatric doctors at Badr University, Egypt

BackgroundDespite modern changes in global attitudes toward mental illness, it is still counted as the most stigmatized illness worldwide. This negative attitude extends to medical health practitioners; thus, negatively impacting accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and the overall well-being of patients. This study aimed to assess stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness among undergraduate medical students and non-psychiatric doctors, and to identify various sociodemographic and clinical factors affecting their attitudes.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from November to December 2024. The study involved 605 medical students and 59 non-psychiatric doctors at the School of Medicine at Badr University in Cairo, Egypt. This study was disseminated via online surveys. Stigma attitude was evaluated using Mental Illness Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale-2 (MICA-2) for medical students and Mental Illness Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale-4 (MICA-4) for non-psychiatric doctors, while sociodemographic and clinical variables were evaluated via a designed questionnaire. The data were examined using both descriptive and comparative methods through SPSS software, version 27. A P value below 0.05 was interpreted as statistically significant.ResultsOverall, 88.1% of non-psychiatric doctors and 84.3% of undergraduate medical students showed positive attitudes toward individuals with mental illness. The mean MICA-2 score was 48.12 ± 8.13 and MICA-4 was 45.15 ± 8.44. Positive history of mental illness, previous contact with a mentally ill patient (P value = 0.001 and P value = 0.005, respectively), as well as previous attendance to anti-stigma campaigns (P = 0.001) appeared to contribute to more favorable attitudes toward mental diseases among students. In non-psychiatric doctors, a high professional degree was highly associated with negative attitudes while medical specialty had no effect on their attitudes.ConclusionThis study demonstrated a high percentage of positive attitudes among medical students and non-psychiatric doctors. This study provides a new perspective on stigma research, calling for construction and implementation of more effective anti-stigma measures, particularly within medical education, focusing not only on medical students but also on their educational providers.

The stigma paradox: sympathetic and discriminatory responses toward trauma survivors in China

ABSTRACT This study investigates factors influencing public attitudes toward trauma survivors in China, focusing on how traumatic situations shape perceptions of mental health. We conducted a community survey with 249 participants invited from public places in Shanghai. Each consented respondent read a randomly assigned vignette describing one of eight cases varying by gender and trauma type (accident, sexual assault, or childhood abuse). They also completed standardized stigma scales, attitude and belief measures, and demographic items. Factor analyses identified four types of public stigma, revealing Personal Stigma positively correlated with Sympathetic Response, while Community Stigma positively correlated with Discriminatory Response. Regression analyses showed no significant differences in stigma scores across the vignettes but highlighted two predictors of public stigma: respondents’ perceived problem severity and mental health problem exposure. A stigma paradox has emerged. This counterintuitive but important finding reveals that mental health problem exposure could simultaneously reduce sympathy and increase discriminatory reactions. It provides insights into ethically sensitive social work through studies disputing the double-label of mental health issues in China. It offers practical recommendations for reducing the negative impact of discriminatory stigma on individuals who exhibit traumatic reactive symptoms and advocating sympathy-oriented education programs for stigma prevention. This dual sympathetic-discriminatory stigma underscores the need for mental health awareness training to reduce negativity by fostering education on sympathetic responses, especially by demonstrating examples where early care prevents negative consequences.

Development of a questionnaire for evaluating supporters’ skills in Hikikomori support

Abstract Enhancing the skills of hikikomori supporters inherently contributes to improving the quality of support provided. However, a comprehensive skills assessment tool for these supporters has not yet been developed. This study aimed to develop a self-rated questionnaire, the Hikikomori Supporter’s Skills Checklist (HSSC). Based on a preliminary survey involving 43 supporters, the HSSC draft was revised. The revised version comprises 39 items addressing various aspects of consultation support. In the main survey, questionnaires were posted to 118 hikikomori community support centers. To assess convergent and discriminant validity and derive clinical insights, respondents completed the HSSC along with measures of stigmatic attitudes toward hikikomori and psychiatric patients, workplace psychological flexibility, burnout, and demographics, including prior experience in hikikomori-related learning and support. Analysis of 238 valid responses revealed a single-factor structure; however, 12 items were removed due to lower item factor loadings. The refined 27-item HSSC demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.74). HSSC scores showed a significant correlation with the number of training sessions undertaken (ρ = 0.24), along with other theoretically consistent but statistically non-significant correlations, supporting the checklist’s validity. Furthermore, in the comparison involving specific questions with relatively low correct response rate, a linear increase in the total HSSC score was observed across the low-, middle-, and high correct response rate groups. However, score distribution deviated from normality due to limited data from lower-scoring participants, restricting parametric analysis. Although further validation is necessary, the HSSC appears valuable for promoting self-reflection among hikikomori supporters and evaluating training outcomes.

Associations Between Healthcare Providers' Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward People Living with HIV and People Who Use Drugs: A Canonical Correlation Analysis.

While extant literature demonstrates that healthcare providers' stigmatizing attitudes negatively impact care for people who use drugs (PWUD) and people with HIV (PWH), limited research has explored how these stigmas are interrelated. This study examines the relationships between multiple dimensions of stigma-including cognitive, affective, and role-based attitudes-toward PWUD and PWH. We operationalized these dimensions using two validated instruments. The Drug and Drug Problems Perception Questionnaire (DDPPQ) assessed five role-based dimensions of provider attitudes toward PWUD: role adequacy, role support, job satisfaction, role-related self-esteem, and role legitimacy. The HIV/AIDS Provider Stigma Scale (HPASS) measured three dimensions of HIV-related stigma: cognitive (stereotypes), affective (prejudice), and behavioral (discrimination). Canonical correlation analysis was used to examine multivariate associations between these subscales. The analysis included 128 healthcare providers from HIV clinics in Birmingham, AL, and Pittsburgh, PA. Participants were predominantly White (52.4%), cisgender women (70.3%), aged 36-47, with less than five years of experience working with PWH (35.8%) and PWUD (29.6%). The overall CCA model was statistically significant (Wilks's λ = 0.579, F [15, 281.97] = 4.103, p < 0.0001), explaining 42.1% of the shared variance. Function 1 (rc = 0.615) accounted for 37.8% of the variance. Role-related self-esteem had the highest loading among DDPPQ subscales (β = 1.024), while prejudice (β = 0.778) and stereotypes (β = 0.546) were the strongest contributors from HPASS. Findings highlight the interconnection between stigmatizing attitudes toward PWUD and PWH. Subscale-level analyses suggests that providers with lower role-related self-esteem are more likely to hold prejudicial and stereotypical attitudes, reinforcing intersectional stigma. Addressing one form of stigma may help reduce the other, supporting more effective and targeted interventions in HIV care settings.

Stigmatising attitudes towards people with mental disorders in a survey of older Japanese adults before the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives This study investigates stigmatising attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia in a sample of Japanese adults aged 70–79. Method One thousand participants completed an online survey in 2017. They were randomly assigned to read a vignette of a person experiencing either major depression or chronic schizophrenia, then answered questions regarding discrimination by others in the community, personal and perceived stigma, and preference for social distance. Results Participants had more stigmatising attitudes towards the vignette of the person experiencing schizophrenia. They most often endorsed statements indicating they would not employ someone, or vote for a politician, with a mental disorder. Participants perceived that other people were more likely to hold stigmatising attitudes than themselves. Regarding social distance, participants were most unwilling to have the person marry into their family or move next door to them. Conclusion Substantial minorities of older Japanese adults hold stigmatising attitudes towards people with mental disorders, particularly towards those experiencing schizophrenia, and for statements assessing desire for social distance. Anti-stigma efforts targeted at older Japanese adults might usefully focus on destigmatising schizophrenia, promoting the social inclusion and competence of people with mental disorders, and developing social contact interventions to reduce desire for social distance.

The Influence of Stigma on Community Attitudes Towards People with Mental Disorders in Gampong Krueng Juli, Kuala District, Bireuen Regency

Stigma is a negative label attached to an individual by society and influenced by the surrounding environment. In reality, individuals with mental disorders often experience greater stigma and discrimination from the community compared to those suffering from other medical illnesses. Ideally, the community should serve as a support system for people with mental disorders. This study aims to determine the influence of stigma on community attitudes toward individuals with mental disorders in Juli Seupeng Village, Juli Subdistrict, Bireuen Regency. This research is a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 46 respondents, selected using purposive sampling. The study was conducted in Gampong Krueng July from August 10 to August 15. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test. The univariate analysis showed that the majority of respondents had a high level of stigma (32 respondents or 69.6%), and most community attitudes were categorized as negative (38 respondents or 82.6%). The bivariate analysis revealed a p-value of 0.016, which is less than the significance level of 0.05 (ρ = 0.016 &lt; α = 0.05), indicating a significant relationship between stigma and community attitudes toward individuals with mental disorders. Therefore, the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted, and the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected. It is recommended that communities change their mindset and perspectives, as negative attitudes can trigger relapses in people with mental disorders.

Relationships between intergroup contact and student nurses' stigma toward people living with mental illness at a mental health clinical placement: A prospective cohort study.

Relationships between intergroup contact and student nurses' stigma toward people living with mental illness at a mental health clinical placement: A prospective cohort study.

The development and validation of the Social Attributions for Mental Illness (SAMI) scale.

Existing measures of lay causal attributions for mental illness do not discriminate between the diverse array of social factors known to influence mental health. Moreover, while ample research has emphasised the negative stigma consequences of biological attributions, limited research investigates how different social attributions might relate to stigma attitudes. The study developed and validated a novel scale to measure lay social attributions for various categories of mental illness. Scale items were generated via data triangulation from an online qualitative survey, a rapid umbrella literature review, and a media analysis. An online survey was disseminated to 500 participants, who rated items' importance in causing four mental illness categories: anorexia nervosa, depression, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis identified and validated the factor structure of the Social Attributions for Mental Illness scale (SAMI) for each mental illness. Factors identified were life circumstances, violence/abuse, relational challenges, and sociopolitical turmoil. Tests of validity demonstrated good construct validity. This scale enables investigation of how social attributions may differ across populations and mental illness categories, and the consequences of such differences for attitudes and behaviour.

Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being, Resilience, and Attitudes Towards Help-Seeking During COVID-19: a Cross-Sectional Study

Adolescent mental well-being is a growing international concern. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues, but there is little evidence of its effect on school-going adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was sent to six schools, comprising the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CRYM-R), Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale (PMHSS), and General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ). In total, 410 adolescents completed the survey. The WEMWBS indicated moderate levels of mental well-being (mean 48.02, SD 10.97), the CRYM-R indicated personal (41.87 (SD 6.32)) and caregiver resilience (30.15 (SD 5.95)), were relatively well-preserved. Family/friends were the most likely source of help-seeking. There were significant positive correlations between well-being and resilience (< 0.001), and mental health stigma and help-seeking attitudes. There was an inverse relationship between personal resilience and both stigma awareness and stigma agreement (p < 0.05). Those with lower well-being scores were less likely to seek help from anyone (p < 0.001). Well-being scores were lower compared to pre-pandemic studies and help-seeking attitudes are still problematic. Given that we are yet to see the full impact of COVID-19 on the emotional/psychological health of adolescents, interventions to increase resilience and promote mental well-being and help-seeking are urgently needed. Interventions delivered through school curricula and with the support of teachers are likely to present the best opportunity for rapid roll-out.

"The System Sweeps it Under the Rug": Educational Staff's Perspectives on Romantic Relationships Among Autistic Adolescents.

Article 23 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) calls to recognize the right of people with disabilities to have romantic relationships, marry and raise children. However, to date, research has mainly focused on this issue in relation to people with physical or intellectual disabilities. Less is known about romantic relationships among autistic adolescents and how others in their immediate environment, such as educational staff, perceive and refer to this issue. To address this gap, the present study aimed to understand and describe the perspectives of educational staff on the romantic relationships of autistic adolescents, including their views regarding the right and capability of adolescents to form and maintain such relationships, and the education system's role in providing relevant knowledge and skills. A descriptive phenomenological qualitative approach was applied. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 20 educational staff members from special education schools in Israel. Four main themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the interviews: (1) Stigmatic attitudes regarding the ability of autistic adolescents to develop romantic relationships; (2) Preventive sexual education as a priority; (3) Behavioral implications of educational neglect; and (4) Recommended practices. The findings highlight the need for macro- and micro-level change by developing an adapted curriculum that views romantic relationships as positive and constructive and eliminating stigmatic perceptions among educational staff. Another recommendation is to provide educational staff with emotional and practical preparation for addressing the issue of romantic relationships in class.

Stigma Attitudes Toward HIV/AIDS From 2011 Through 2023 in Japan: Retrospective Study in Japan.

Stigma associated with HIV/AIDS continues to be a major barrier to prevention, management, and care. HIV stigma can negatively influence health behaviors. Surveys of the general public in Japan also demonstrated substantial gaps in knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Tweets from the social networking service X (formerly known as Twitter) have been studied to identify stigmas in other disorders but have not yet been used to study HIV stigma in Japan. The aim of the study is to examine the variations in stigma related to HIV over an extended period using tweets from X and to investigate the stigma toward people with HIV associated with various demographic segments. Japanese tweets from X related to HIV/AIDS were retrospectively collected; the phase 1 feasibility study collected tweets from 2011, 2014, and 2017, and the phase 2 analysis included tweets from each third year from 2011 through 2023. Individual tweets were labeled with the messages they conveyed (stigma and corresponding antistigma types included labels, marks, responsibility, peril, insults, and fear; tweets without stigma or antistigma messages were considered general education or neutral) along with demographic characteristics and locations; phase 1 results were used to develop a machine learning model to apply in phase 2. The labeled data from phase 2 were used to answer research questions concerning yearly changes in HIV stigma and proportions of stigma across population segments. A total of 2,016,826 tweets related to HIV/AIDS were identified over the study period; 1,648,556 (81.7%) were from individual accounts, with the remainder from organizational accounts. In total, 574,687 (28.5%) tweets indicated stigma attitudes, while 1,119,852 (55.5%), 207,320 (10.3%), and 114,967 (5.7%) showed neutral, antistigma, or general education attitudes, respectively. Tweets including peril, fear, or insult comprised 502,134 (87.4%) of tweets with stigma. The greatest numbers of tweets were made by people in their 20s, whereas people in their 20s and 60s had the greatest proportions of tweets with stigma (n=9650, 35.3% and n=558, 34.5%, respectively). Peril and fear made up 5819 (60.3%) of stigma tweets from people in their 20s. The proportion of tweets with stigma (n=59,719, 20.5% in 2017) increased notably during the COVID-19 pandemic (n=217,512, 31.4% in 2020, and a similar n=175,647, 33.9% in 2023). Tweets from health care practitioners had 1.68 times the odds of having antistigma messages versus those from others. This study contributes to the understanding of HIV stigma in Japan and shows the usefulness of social media for studying stigma. The extent and type of HIV stigma changed from before to after the COVID-19 pandemic. These results can be used to develop future activities and educational programs to combat HIV-related stigma.

Evaluating Awareness and Knowledge about Tuberculosis: A Pathway to Improved Disease Management

Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health challenge in District Layyah, owing to persistent information gaps, prejudices, and a lack of awareness that impede effective disease management. This study investigates the intricate relationships among knowledge, attitudes, and awareness pertaining to tuberculosis, examining how these elements collectively impact TB control initiatives within a cohort of 200 participants evenly distributed across genders (male and female subjects). This study used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and logistic regression analysis to demonstrate that enhanced knowledge of tuberculosis and awareness of healthcare resources are essential for effective disease management. The findings indicate that these factors facilitate faster diagnoses, improved treatment adherence, and a more effective management of tuberculosis. On the flip side, the persistence of stigma and adverse attitudes regarding tuberculosis substantially obstructs persons from pursuing essential medical care. A greater socioeconomic position and better access to healthcare are associated with superior tuberculosis management outcomes, demonstrating the substantial impact of these determinants on results. The findings underscore the essential need for targeted initiatives—such as community education campaigns, stigma reduction programs, and improved healthcare access—to transform the tuberculosis situation in District Layyah. By addressing informational inadequacies and sociocultural difficulties, these strategies can foster an environment conducive to successful tuberculosis management while simultaneously combating stigma. This research provides crucial insights for policymakers and public health practitioners, highlighting the necessity for holistic policies that educate and empower communities to effectively tackle tuberculosis with resilience and informed action.

Media guidelines for the reporting of gambling and other stigmatised experiences: A scoping review with narrative summary

Media representations influence public perceptions of stigmatised conditions, with news media significantly impacting stigmatising attitudes. Limited research on interventions in media reporting of gambling harm complicates the development of best practices for reporting guidelines. This scoping review explored research on media guidelines for stigmatised conditions, including substance use, mental ill health, suicidality, and poverty. Databases searched included PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, alongside grey literature from Google and targeted organisation websites. Of the 57 articles included, most focused on suicide media guidelines. Guidelines across stigmatised experiences emphasised avoiding sensationalism, using non-stigmatising language, and promoting support services. Effective implementation requires training, stakeholder collaboration, and continuous feedback, while challenges include balancing journalistic freedom with ethical considerations and contextual adaptation. The review identified essential elements in news media guidelines for the selected conditions, highlighting that collaboration among media professionals, public health practitioners, and lived experience communities is crucial. Despite the absence of specific guidelines for gambling harm, the findings will inform best practices for developing evidence-based guidelines to reshape gambling-related news narratives.

Assessing HIV treatment literacy among men living with HIV in Mozambique: a mixed-methods study to identify insights, gaps and impact from the ‘Somos Iguais’ campaign

ObjectivesThis study aimed to understand antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence norms and beliefs among men living with HIV (MLHIV) in Mozambique, gauge the impact of misconceptions and harmful beliefs, evaluate perceived HIV service quality and assess the effectiveness of a behaviour change campaign (Somos Iguais), particularly among men aged 25–34 years.DesignA mixed-methods, cross-sectional study using quantitative and qualitative approaches.SettingIn Mozambique, over two million individuals live with HIV. This study was conducted in Maputo, Nampula and Sofala provinces.ParticipantsThe study comprised 10 focus group discussions with MLHIV aged 18–35 years and 58 indepth interviews with MLHIV aged 15–35 years across diverse subpopulations. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was completed by 1934 MLHIV aged 25–34 years.InterventionPopulation Services International developed a behaviour change campaign in 2020 aimed at reaching men age 25–34, who often remain undiagnosed or not virally suppressed.Outcome measureThe study explores key aspects of HIV-related norms, behaviours and beliefs among people living with HIV, including high-risk subpopulations. These key aspects include misinformation, service quality gaps, perceived treatment benefits and the impact of the Somos Iguais campaign.ResultsSignificantly more MLHIV who were on ART believed that HIV treatment reduces the risk of transmission compared with those who were not on ART (33% and 10%, respectively; p<0.001). Few, however, understood that undetectable viral loads prevent transmission. This lack of understanding is associated with self-stigma and diminished motivation to stay on ART. More than half (54%) of the survey participants agreed that people who are suspected of having HIV lose respect in their community. Surprisingly, our findings did not suggest that provider stigma hampers ART adherence; instead, concerns centred around clinic privacy while obtaining ART. Many MLHIV received HIV education only after diagnosis at the clinic, highlighting a significant community knowledge gap that intensified stigma and hampered treatment. The Somos Iguais behaviour change campaign resonated well with men already on ART, but less so with those not on treatment.ConclusionWhile the study highlights a positive trend in HIV treatment literacy among MLHIV, it showed persistent stigmatising attitudes in the wider community. Investments to enhance knowledge and counter misconceptions about HIV treatment, especially among men not reached by the Somos Iguais campaign, are essential in expanding and sustaining the number of MLHIV virally suppressed on ART. Safeguarding patient confidentiality in clinics is imperative to encourage and sustain ART adherence.

Suicide Literacy and Stigmatising Attitude Among Poisoning Wards Nurses and Physicians Towards Patients With Suicide Attempts: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Health professionals' attitudes towards suicidal patients may affect the quality of treatment and care provided. This study was conducted to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of physicians and nurses towards patients with suicidal ideation and a history of suicide attempts. A cross-sectional research design was used to conduct this study. A total of 421 physicians and nurses were recruited. Data analyses were performed using SPSS software version 23. This study used a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Stigma of Suicide Scale-Short Form and the Literacy of Suicide Scale questionnaires. This study included 421 participants, comprising 55 general physicians (GPs; 13.1%), 92 specialist physicians (21.9%) and 274 nurses (65%). Nurses had an average score of 4.65 ± 1.78 for suicide knowledge and 46.59 ± 7.43 for suicide stigma. No significant relationship was observed between suicide knowledge and suicide stigma among nurses (r = 0.02). However, a significant negative correlation was identified between suicide knowledge and suicide stigma among physicians (r = -0.25). These findings suggest that increasing suicide literacy may help reduce stigma among physicians, highlighting the need for targeted educational interventions in clinical settings. Patients and the public were not directly involved in the design, conduct or reporting of this study. However, the findings highlight the importance of improving healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes towards suicidal ideation and behaviour, which could have a direct impact on patient care.

The Effectiveness of Interventions to Improve Mental Health Literacy, Helping Behaviours and Stigmatizing Attitudes in Schoolteachers and Staff in Asian Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction: Mental health literacy (MHL) has been defined as the knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders which aid their recognition, management or prevention. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of interventions to improve MHL, helping behaviours and stigmatizing attitudes in schoolteachers and staff in Asian countries Methods: This review was registered in the PROSPERO and followed PRISMA Guidelines. Medline, ERIC, PsycINFO, CINHAL and Web of Science databases were searched using predefined search strategies. Studies with randomized controlled trial (RCT), quasi experimental or cluster randomized experimental designs, published as a peer reviewed journal article and or as a report in English from 2000 till February 2022 were selected. Risk of bias (ROB) assessments were conducted with Cochrane ROB V2 tool and ROBINS-I criteria for randomized and non-randomized interventions, respectively. Meta-analyses were performed with Review Manager 5.4 . Results: At the initial search, 11547 articles were identified and eight were subsequently selected for synthesis of findings. There were four RCTs (n=496) and four, before and after studies without a comparator group (n=251). Most RCTs studies were of low ROB while other studies with ROB of some concern/critical. The findings of the meta-analysis using four RCTs indicated that there was a large improvement in knowledge (SMD=1.3; 95% CI: 0.95, 1.7), a moderate improvement in stigma (SMD=-0.6; 95% CI: -0.8, -0.3) and a large improvement in helping behaviour (SMD=0.8; 95% CI: 0.5, 1.2). Conclusions &amp; Recommendations: Our review indicates that interventions targeting schoolteachers and staff had large effects upon knowledge of mental illnesses and helping behaviour and moderate effects upon stigma.

The Effect of a Brief Video-Based Intervention to Improve AIDS Prevention in Older Men: Randomized Controlled Trial.

The AIDS epidemic among older people is becoming more serious. Evidence-based, acceptable, and effective preventive interventions are urgently needed. Video-based interventions have become an innovative way to change behaviors, and we have developed a brief video-based intervention named Sunset Without AIDS. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a brief video-based intervention targeting older men's understanding of AIDS prevention. A randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 20 to July 3, 2023. In total, 100 older men were randomly divided into the intervention group (n=50) and the control group (n=50) using the envelope extraction method. The intervention group was shown the Sunset Without AIDS video; the control group viewed a standard AIDS education video. A questionnaire was used to measure the effect of Sunset Without AIDS after 2 interventions. AIDS-related high-risk behaviors were followed up 1 and 3 months after the intervention. The difference was statistically significant at P≤.05. After 2 interventions, the total awareness rates (%) of AIDS-related knowledge in the intervention and control groups were 84% (42/50) and 66% (33/50), respectively (P=.04). The mean stigma attitude scores of the 2 groups were 2.53 (SD 0.45) and 2.58 (SD 0.49), respectively (P=.55), but there was a statistically significant difference in the first dimension (fear of infection) between the 2 groups (P<.001). The mean positive scores of attitudes of AIDS-related high-risk behaviors of the 2 groups were 83.33 (SD 21.56) and 75.67 (SD 26.77), respectively (P=.58). In addition, 82% reported that they were satisfied with the educational content within the Sunset Without AIDS video. At 1- and 3-month follow-ups conducted after the intervention, participants in the 2 groups did not report AIDS-related high-risk behaviors. After watching the 2 videos, more people accepted and were satisfied with Sunset Without AIDS. Sunset Without AIDS could improve the ability of older men in China to follow best practices for AIDS prevention and provide a certain basis for the innovation of AIDS education in the older adult population.

Investigating the attitude of psychiatrists towards the presence of stigma about COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant global disruption, resulting in increased stigma and discrimination towards certain communities and populations affected by the virus. Given that psychiatrists play a crucial role in both preventing and treating the complications associated with disease-related stigma, this study aims to examine their attitude towards the stigma associated with COVID-19. This research utilized a cross-sectional survey design to evaluate psychiatrists' attitudes towards COVID-19 stigma. We used a 15-item researcher-made questionnaire with scores ranging from 15 to 75. The questionnaire was distributed to 131 psychiatrists in Tehran (capital city of Iran) from April 9, 2023 to May 26, 2023, with responses collected voluntarily. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and one-way ANOVA to evaluate stigma attitudes across demographic variables using SPSS software (version 25). The Cronbach's alpha for the COVID-19 Stigma Attitude Scale for Psychiatrists (CSASP) was determined to be 0.861, indicating strong reliability. Moreover, all questions achieved acceptable corrected item-total correlation values above 0.2. It was revealed that the highest and lowest recorded scores were 68 and 25, respectively (average 51.16 ± 8.83). Also 19 individuals (14.5%) exhibited a weak attitude, 41 individuals (31.3%) displayed a rather weak attitude, 54 individuals (41.2%) showed a rather strong attitude, and 17 individuals (13%) demonstrated a strong attitude toward the presence of COVID-19 stigma. Furthermore, 96 individuals (73.3%) recognized stigma surrounding COVID-19 at the onset of the pandemic; of these, 11 (11.5%) disagreed with the idea of current stigma, while 18 (18.7%) had no opinion. Thus, 67 participants (69.8%) still believe such a stigma exists. Finally, 83 respondents (63.3%) acknowledged stigma related to AIDS and leprosy, with 53 (63.8%) of them also believing in the stigma surrounding COVID-19. The findings highlighted various attitudes towards the ongoing stigma associated with COVID-19, with most psychiatrists recognizing its persistence throughout the pandemic. The research also points to the interconnectedness of stigma across different diseases, emphasizing common societal factors like fear, misinformation, and cultural biases. This underscores the crucial role psychiatrists play in addressing stigma and its effects on society.

Experiences of women with disabilities in Lithuania when their gender, disability, domestic violence, and mental health services intertwine.

Experiences of women with disabilities in Lithuania when their gender, disability, domestic violence, and mental health services intertwine.