Community Attitude and Stigma towards Mental Illness: A Gender Perspective

INTRODUCTIONThe stigmatization and labelling of mental illness is a major problem which affects patients and their caregivers as well as institutions and health care professionals working with persons with mental illness. Many individuals with mental problems are discriminated against because of their mental illness. There has been only limited study of how individuals experiencing mental illness stigma.Stigma attached with mental illness refers to the view that persons with mental illness are marked, have undesirable traits, or deserve reproach because of their mental illness (Corrigan & Penn, 1999). Stigma leads to negative behavior and stereotyping and to discriminatory behavior toward persons with mental illness (Davidson et al.,1998). Stigma may cause affected persons to experience denial, rejection and to feel shame about their condition. The present study is based on Link's and Phelan's model of stigma. According to this model, stigmatization occurs when some interrelated factors converge: (1) people distinguish and label human differences; (2) dominant cultural and social beliefs link the person's thus labelled to undesirable characteristics, i.e. to negative behaviors and stereotypes; (3) labeled persons are placed in different categories and a degree of separation of ''us'' from ''them'' is created; (4) the labeled persons experience a loss of status, positions and discrimination. The model distinguishes three types of stigma on the basis of their source. Individual discrimination consists in individual persons' negative behaviour towards members of a stigmatised group. Structural discrimination indicates to the negative results and consequences of injustices inherent in social, legal and political structures or decisions. Self-stigmatisation is the process by which mentally ill persons adopt the negative behavior and stereotypes about people with mental illness prevailing in the society and consequently come to perceive themselves as socially unacceptable. Perceived stigma can result in a reluctance of the patient to seek help for mental illness (Taylor et al., 1981). Stigma can be divided into public and self-stigma. "Public stigma occurs when the general public supports a prejudice and thoughts about a stigmatized group. Self-stigma occurs when a member of a stigmatized group self/internalize the negative views held by the general public (Thara et al., 2003). Given its negative impact on treatment seeking, adherence and effectiveness, the stigma associated with mental illness can be considered as a major public health problem.Need for the studyCommunity attitude towards mental illness & Stigma have been extensively explored in chronic illnesses like Schizophrenia, Dementia and Cancer. Most of studied has been done with care giving experience extensively investigated in some chronic/severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. There are limited number of studies in the field of community attitude towards mental illness & stigma in India of the male & female. No systematic research addressing the issue of stigma & community attitude towards mental illness of male & female. There are literature suggested high level of burden & low level of coping of female as compared to male.OBJECTIVESTo compare the Community attitude towards mental illness & Stigma between male and females of the community.HYPOTHESESThere will be no significant difference in Community attitude towards mental illness & Stigma of male and female of the community.METHODOLOGYVenue: Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi.Study Design : Cross-sectional, single contact study.Sampling technique : Purposive sampling.Sample size : 60 subjects (30 male & 30 female) were selected from the community level.Criteria for Selection (Male)* Male age more than 18 years. * No history of Psychiatric illness, substance abuse, Mental retardation, other comorbidity. …