scholarly journals At home or in hospital: Home treatment and mental health stigma

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110095
Author(s):  
Allerdiena A Hubbeling ◽  
Jared G Smith

Background: Stigmatized attitudes towards people with mental illness may influence treatment choice for oneself and others. Aim: To gauge the attitudes of the UK general public towards treatment at home for mental illness and to assess the extent to which non-acceptability was related to stigmatized attitudes. Methods: Two hundred and two (101 female) people living in the UK completed an online (vignette) questionnaire in which we asked demographic details and personal experience of mental illness. To measure stigma, we used an adapted version of the Attitudes to Mental Illness Questionnaire (AMIQ) with vignettes asking about treatment at home and using scales for social distance and poor expectations; participants also filled in the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS). Results: Participants did not evidence overall agreement with treatment at home for mental illness (i.e. >0; range = −16-to-+16, Mean ( M) = 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.08, 1.80, p = .073), although they showed significant agreement with treatment at home should they experience mental illness themselves (range = −8-to-+8, M = 1.36, CI = 0.82, 1.89, p < .001). Acceptability for treatment at home differed according to specific mental illness considered (range = −4-to-+4); depression ( M = 0.47, CI = 0.13, 0.81, p = .006) and alcohol abuse ( M = 1.46, CI = 1.14,1.77, p < .001) were considered suitable for being treated at home but schizophrenia was not ( M = −0.78, CI = −1.13,−0.43, p < .001). Multivariate analyses revealed that older age and attitudes indicating comfort with less social distance from people with mental illness were independently associated with treatment at home agreeability. Conclusions: Public acceptability of home treatment for mental illness remains ambivalent in the UK, most obviously when considering treatment approaches for individuals other than themselves and for people with schizophrenia. Disagreement with home treatment is particularly evident in younger people and those who prefer less social contact with people with mental illness.

2005 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 745-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Lauber ◽  
Nordt Carlos ◽  
Rössler Wulf

Objective: First, to describe factors influencing the public's attitude toward treatment recommendations for people with mental illness; second, to identify coherent belief systems about the helpfulness of specific interventions; and third, to discuss how to ameliorate mental health literacy and antistigma strategies. Method: Participants of a representative telephone survey in the general population ( n = 1737) were presented with a vignette depicting a person with either schizophrenia or depression. From a list of suggestions, they were asked to recommend treatments for this person. We used a factor analysis to group these proposals and used the factors as the dependent variables in a multiple regression analysis. Results: Treatment suggestions are summarized in 4 groups, each characterizing a specific therapeutic approach: 1) psychopharmacological proposals (that is, psychotropic drugs), 2) therapeutic counselling (from a psychologist or psychiatrist or psychotherapy), 3) alternative suggestions (such as homeopathy), and 4) social advice (for example, from a social worker). Medical treatments were proposed by people who had a higher education, who had a positive attitude toward psychopharmacology, who correctly recognized the person depicted in the vignette as being ill, who were presented with the schizophrenia vignette, who kept social distance, and who had contact with mentally ill people. The variables could explain alternative and social treatment proposals only to a small extent. Conclusions: The public's beliefs about treatment for people with mental illness are organized into 4 coherent systems, 2 of which involve evidence-based treatments. Medical treatment proposals are influenced by adequate mental health literacy; however, they are also linked to more social distance toward people with mental illness. Additionally, efforts to better explain nonmedical treatment suggestions are needed. Implications for further antistigma strategies are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s245-s245
Author(s):  
P. Macedo ◽  
M. Silva ◽  
A. Fornelos ◽  
A.R. Figueiredo ◽  
S. Nunes

IntroductionNegative attitudes towards psychiatric patients still exist in our society. Persons suffering from mental illness frequently encounter public stigma and may internalize it leading to self-stigma. Discrimination occurs across many aspects of economic and social existence. It may represent a barrier for patients to receive appropriate care. Many anti-stigma campaigns have been taken to decrease people's prejudice, but its effects are not well documented.ObjectivesTo characterize anti-stigma initiatives and its effects on diminishing negative consequences of stigma.MethodsBibliographical research using PubMed using the keywords “stigma” and “mental illness”.ResultsDespite several approaches to eradicate stigma, it shows a surprising consistency in population levels. It was expected that focus on education would decrease stigma levels. The same was expected following concentration on the genetic causation of pathology. Most studies have revealed that education has little value and endorsing genetic attributions has led to a greater pessimism on the efficacy of mental health services, sense of permanence and guilty feelings within the family.ConclusionPublic stigma has had a major impact on many people with mental illness, especially when leading to self-stigma, interfering with various aspects in life, including work, housing, health care, social life and self-esteem. As Goffman elucidated, stigma is fundamentally a social phenomenon rooted in social relationships and shaped by the culture and structure of society. Social inclusion has been pointed as a potential direction of change.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 241-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Davies ◽  
Claire Dimond

SummaryThe UK Mental Health Act 1983 does not apply in prison. The legal framework for the care and treatment of people with mental illness in prison is provided by the Mental Capacity Act 2005. We raise dilemmas about its use. We highlight how assessing best interests and defining harm involves making challenging judgements. How best interests and harm are interpreted has a potentially significant impact on clinical practice within a prison context.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-37
Author(s):  
Douglas R. Tillman ◽  
David D. Hof ◽  
Aiste Pranckeviciene ◽  
Auksė Endriulaitienė ◽  
Rasa Markšaitytė ◽  
...  

Negative stereotypes of people with mental illness may lead to stigma of those with mental illness, impacting their self-confidence and willingness to seek mental health treatment. Few studies have looked at the health professional’s role and the impact they may have on the stigmatization process of people with mental illness. The purpose of this article was to better understand the concept of social distance among individuals in the helping professions of counseling, social work, and psychology. A total of 305 students and 95 professionals from counseling, social work and psychology participated in this study. Results revealed that counseling, social work, and psychology students, and helping professionals do not differ in their need for social distance from people with mental illness. Helping professionals reported significantly more social distance from people with mental health problems in close personal relationships, compared to their social relationships. In conclusion, there were no significant differences in social distance observed as a function of professional experience.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel F. K. Wong ◽  
Ying Lau ◽  
Sylvia Kwok ◽  
Prudence Wong ◽  
Christopher Tori

Purpose: Chinese people generally lack knowledge of mental illness. Such phenomenon may lead to a delay in seeking psychiatric treatments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program in improving mental health knowledge of the general public in Hong Kong. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was adopted whereby 138 participants received MHFA training and 139 partook in seminars on general health, respectively. All participants filled out a standardized questionnaire before, at the end, and 6-month after the training. Results: Findings demonstrated that MHFA training might be effective in enhancing participants’ knowledge of mental disorders, reducing stigma, and improving perceived confidence in providing help to people with mental illness. Effect size statistics revealed mostly modest to moderate improvements in major variables in the experimental group. Conclusion: It is recommended that culturally attuned MHFA program can be used as prevention strategy to promote good mental health in Chinese communities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 116-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Sampogna ◽  
I. Bakolis ◽  
S. Evans-Lacko ◽  
E. Robinson ◽  
G. Thornicroft ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundIn England, during 2009–2014 the ‘Time to Change’ anti-stigma programme has included a social marketing campaign (SMC) using mass media channels, social media and social contact events but the efficacy of such approach has not been evaluated yet.MethodsThe target population included people aged between mid-twenties/mid-forties, from middle-income groups. Participants were recruited through an online market research panel, before and after each burst of the campaign (with a mean number of unique participants per each burst: 956.9 ± 170.2). Participants completed an online questionnaire evaluating knowledge [Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS)]; attitudes [Community Attitudes toward Mental Illness (CAMI)]; and behaviours [Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale (RIBS)]. Socio-demographic data and level of awareness of the SMC were also collected.ResultsA total of 10,526 people were interviewed. An increasing usage of the SMC-media channels as well as of the level of awareness of SMC was found (P < 0.001). Being aware of the SMC was found to be associated with higher score at MAKS (OR = 0.95, CI = 0.68 to 1.21; P < 0.001), at ‘tolerance and support’ CAMI subscale (OR = 0.12, CI = 0.09 to 0.16; P < 0.001), and at RIBS (OR = 0.71, CI = 0.51 to 0.92; P < 0.001), controlling for confounders.ConclusionThe SMC represents an important way to effectively reduce stigma. Taking into account these positive findings, further population-based campaigns using social media may represent an effective strategy to challenge stigma.


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.C. Angermeyer ◽  
A. Holzinger ◽  
H. Matschinger

AbstractBackgroundThere is growing evidence that mental health literacy has improved in western countries in recent years. The question arises as to whether this trend is paralleled by an improvement of attitudes towards people with mental illness.AimTo examine the development of mental health literacy and the desire for social distance towards people with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder in Eastern Germany over a time period of eight years.MethodA trend analysis was carried out using data from two population surveys conducted in the eastern part of Germany in 1993 and 2001. By means of a fully structured interview psychiatric labelling, causal beliefs, help-seeking and treatment recommendations as well as the desire for social distance was assessed.ResultsWhile there was an increase in the mental health literacy of the public, the desire for social distance from people with major depression and schizophrenia remained unchanged or even increased.ConclusionsThe assumption underlying a number of anti-stigma campaigns, namely that educating people about mental disorders may automatically lead to the improvement of their attitudes towards the mentally ill, appears questionable.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 110-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Douglass ◽  
Benjamin Moy

Abstract Introduction Stigma may negatively affect the treatment of people with mental illness, and pharmacists have the opportunity to play a key role in reducing mental health stigma. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a pharmacy student–focused educational intervention impacts stigma toward people with mental illness. Methods A 90-minute interactive learning module, which used social media and fictional case scenarios, was developed and administered to third-year pharmacy students (n = 145) during small group class sessions. The Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC), a validated tool to measure stigma, was administered immediately before and after the intervention. Pre-post OMS-HC scores were analyzed using related samples t tests. Results A total of 93 presurvey and postsurvey OMS-HC scores were paired and analyzed. Based on the 15-item version of the scale, stigma was significantly reduced, consistent with a score reduction of 4.6%, from 36.8 (95% confidence interval, 35.4-38.1) to 35.1 (95% confidence interval, 33.8-36.3), P &lt; .0001. Discussion Educational interventions for pharmacy students that use social media applications might reduce mental health stigma. After the intervention, most participants believed that stigma impacts the treatment of mental illness, and that pharmacists may play a role in changing mental health stigma.


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