Stigmatizing Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders Among Non-Mental Health Professionals in Six General Hospitals in Hunan Province
Background: There have been few studies on the stigma associated with mental disorders among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in China. This study seeks to explore mental health-related stigma and the desire for social distance among non-mental health professionals in general hos...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00946/full |
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| author | Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Xiaoyang Luo Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Chang Qi Chang Qi Chang Qi Chang Qi Chang Qi Winson Fu Zun Yang Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Yiyuan Tang Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu |
| author_facet | Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Xiaoyang Luo Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Chang Qi Chang Qi Chang Qi Chang Qi Chang Qi Winson Fu Zun Yang Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Yiyuan Tang Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu |
| author_sort | Qiuxia Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: There have been few studies on the stigma associated with mental disorders among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in China. This study seeks to explore mental health-related stigma and the desire for social distance among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in Hunan Province in China.Methods: The study was carried out with 1123 non-mental health professionals in six general hospitals in Hunan Province by using a questionnaire with a case vignette describing either schizophrenia, depression, or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Questions were asked about the attitudes of participants and other people towards individuals with mental disorders and the willingness to come into contact with them.Results: The people described in the vignette were considered dangerous by 84.4% of participants for schizophrenia, 72.0% of participants for depression, and 63.1% of participants for GAD. Besides being dangerous, people with schizophrenia were perceived as unpredictable and as the least suitable for voting for as a politician or employing. Around 50% of participants believed the problems described in the vignette were due to personal weakness. Over 70% of the non-mental health professionals were not willing to have the people described in the vignette marry into their family. The participants had gained their mental health-related knowledge mainly through the media, mostly from newspapers.Conclusions: The current study found a significant stigma towards individuals with mental disorders and a desire for social distance from such people among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in Hunan Province. Anti-stigma interventions should focus on addressing non-mental health professionals' beliefs on dangerousness and unpredictability. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:16:59Z |
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| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:16:59Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc78a01da1f4439ca5fa3a0a9bc6ad1d2022-12-22T02:25:22ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402020-01-011010.3389/fpsyt.2019.00946492100Stigmatizing Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders Among Non-Mental Health Professionals in Six General Hospitals in Hunan ProvinceQiuxia Wu0Qiuxia Wu1Qiuxia Wu2Qiuxia Wu3Qiuxia Wu4Qiuxia Wu5Xiaoyang Luo6Shubao Chen7Shubao Chen8Shubao Chen9Shubao Chen10Shubao Chen11Chang Qi12Chang Qi13Chang Qi14Chang Qi15Chang Qi16Winson Fu Zun Yang17Yanhui Liao18Yanhui Liao19Yanhui Liao20Yanhui Liao21Yanhui Liao22Xuyi Wang23Xuyi Wang24Xuyi Wang25Xuyi Wang26Xuyi Wang27Jinsong Tang28Jinsong Tang29Jinsong Tang30Jinsong Tang31Jinsong Tang32Yiyuan Tang33Tieqiao Liu34Tieqiao Liu35Tieqiao Liu36Tieqiao Liu37Tieqiao Liu38Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaNational Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaHunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, ChinaMental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United StatesFemale Psychiatric Ward, The First Psychiatric Hospital of Hengyang City, Hengyang, ChinaDepartment of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaNational Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaHunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, ChinaMental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaNational Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaHunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, ChinaMental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaNational Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaHunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, ChinaMental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaNational Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaHunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, ChinaMental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaNational Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaHunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, ChinaMental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaNational Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, ChinaHunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Changsha, ChinaMental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, ChinaBackground: There have been few studies on the stigma associated with mental disorders among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in China. This study seeks to explore mental health-related stigma and the desire for social distance among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in Hunan Province in China.Methods: The study was carried out with 1123 non-mental health professionals in six general hospitals in Hunan Province by using a questionnaire with a case vignette describing either schizophrenia, depression, or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Questions were asked about the attitudes of participants and other people towards individuals with mental disorders and the willingness to come into contact with them.Results: The people described in the vignette were considered dangerous by 84.4% of participants for schizophrenia, 72.0% of participants for depression, and 63.1% of participants for GAD. Besides being dangerous, people with schizophrenia were perceived as unpredictable and as the least suitable for voting for as a politician or employing. Around 50% of participants believed the problems described in the vignette were due to personal weakness. Over 70% of the non-mental health professionals were not willing to have the people described in the vignette marry into their family. The participants had gained their mental health-related knowledge mainly through the media, mostly from newspapers.Conclusions: The current study found a significant stigma towards individuals with mental disorders and a desire for social distance from such people among non-mental health professionals in general hospitals in Hunan Province. Anti-stigma interventions should focus on addressing non-mental health professionals' beliefs on dangerousness and unpredictability.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00946/fullnon-mental health professionalsstigmasocial distanceschizophreniadepressiongeneral anxiety disorder |
| spellingShingle | Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Qiuxia Wu Xiaoyang Luo Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Shubao Chen Chang Qi Chang Qi Chang Qi Chang Qi Chang Qi Winson Fu Zun Yang Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Yanhui Liao Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Xuyi Wang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Jinsong Tang Yiyuan Tang Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Tieqiao Liu Stigmatizing Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders Among Non-Mental Health Professionals in Six General Hospitals in Hunan Province Frontiers in Psychiatry non-mental health professionals stigma social distance schizophrenia depression general anxiety disorder |
| title | Stigmatizing Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders Among Non-Mental Health Professionals in Six General Hospitals in Hunan Province |
| title_full | Stigmatizing Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders Among Non-Mental Health Professionals in Six General Hospitals in Hunan Province |
| title_fullStr | Stigmatizing Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders Among Non-Mental Health Professionals in Six General Hospitals in Hunan Province |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stigmatizing Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders Among Non-Mental Health Professionals in Six General Hospitals in Hunan Province |
| title_short | Stigmatizing Attitudes Towards Mental Disorders Among Non-Mental Health Professionals in Six General Hospitals in Hunan Province |
| title_sort | stigmatizing attitudes towards mental disorders among non mental health professionals in six general hospitals in hunan province |
| topic | non-mental health professionals stigma social distance schizophrenia depression general anxiety disorder |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00946/full |
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