Associations between Beliefs about the Causes of Mental Disorders and Stigmatizing Attitudes: Results of a Mental Health Literacy and Stigma Survey of the Japanese Public

Promoting early-intervention for suicide prevention: The role of mental health literacy and attitudes towards suicide: A quantitative study in Ireland

Suicide is a global public health issue which has far-reaching impacts on individuals, families, and wider communities. Early intervention is a core pillar of policy on the prevention of suicide related deaths. However, limited mental health literacy, and negative attitudes regarding mental illness amongst the public are a barrier to early intervention. Past research has not explored mental health literacy and attitudes regarding suicide specifically. The aim of the current study was to examine mental health literacy and attitudes towards suicide in adults. 590 adults in Ireland aged 18-80 years (M = 43.24, SD = 12.6) took part in this online cross-sectional study, completing the Mental Health Literacy Scale and The Attitudes Towards Suicide Scale. Experience of suicide deaths was common among participants. Independent t-tests indicated that males had significantly lower levels of mental health literacy and more stigmatising attitudes towards suicide than females. Young adults also had lower ability to recognise mental health difficulties than older adults. Hierarchical Multiple Regressions found that mental health literacy significantly accounted for varied attitudes towards suicide in adults, particularly willingness to communicate about suicide, and beliefs that suicide is preventable. Findings are discussed in the context of informing policy-makers who are promoting early-intervention for suicide prevention.

Stigma toward internalizing and externalizing disorders: How do adolescents perceive their peers? A network analysis approach

This study's first aim was to explore whether stigma's facets differ between internalizing and externalizing disorders in adolescence. The second aim was to compare the relationships among stigma's facets toward these disorders. Two vignettes depicting a peer with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were used with 616 adolescents in Italy. A Repeated measure MANOVA showed biogenetic causes, social distancing, and discomfort were more attributed to depression, while dangerousness to ADHD. Furthermore, a Psychometric Network Analysis showed no differences between these disorders in the relations among stigma's components. However, dangerousness seemed to be among the nodes with the highest levels of "strength," confirming previous literature that shows that dangerousness plays a major role in stigma.

Evaluation of beliefs and attitudes among caregivers of child labor about mental disorders first aid and stigma

BACKGROUND

The beliefs and attitudes of caregivers of working children about mental health issues and first aid and their attitudes about the stigma of mental health problems can affect their motivation to seek professional help for affected children. This study aimed to assess the mental health literacy among caregivers of child labor about first aid for mental health and their attitudes about the stigma of mental disorders.

METHODS

The Depression Health Literacy Questionnaire has been used in this cross-sectional study. All caregivers of working children who were willing to participate were included in the study. This group is covered by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) located in the 17th district of Tehran.

RESULTS

Questionnaires completed by 131 caregivers were analyzed. The average age of the participants was 32.6 (± 7.9) years. Of which 130 (99.2%) were mothers. Amongst, only 37 individuals (28.2%) were confident in their ability to help their children in case of depression symptoms. A majority of participants, 109 (83.2%), believed that asking a depressed child about suicidal ideation was harmful.

CONCLUSION

According to the findings of this study, the literacy among caregivers of child labor about mental health first aid in our study needs to be improved. There is also a need for educational and community-based programs to reduce the stigma about mental health disorders, including depression.

Effectiveness of a Problem-Solving, Story-Bridge Mental Health Literacy Programme in Improving Ghanaian Community Leaders' Attitudes towards People with Mental Illness: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

In Ghana, people with mental disorders commonly experience negative attitudes and discrimination because of deep-rooted public stigma. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a mental health literacy programme in improving community leaders' attitudes toward people with mental disorders. A cluster randomised controlled trial, comprising an intervention and control group, participated in a 3-hour problem-solving, Story-bridge mental health literacy programme. Data were collected at baseline and 12-week follow-up. The intervention group performed better in most outcome measures at follow-up compared to the control group. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups, in perceived stigma, community mental health ideology (CMHI), and benevolence outcome measures over the two time-points. Overall, the findings suggest that the programme was somewhat effective in improving community leaders' attitudes and who might, subsequently, foster supportive, non-judgemental and empathetic attitudes toward individuals with mental disorders in their communities. There is scope for community psychiatric nurses and other primary health care workers to work with community leaders to increase public awareness of, and favourable attitudes toward, people with mental health problems in the community.

The chronic sorrow experiences of caregivers of clients with schizophrenia in Taiwan: A phenomenological study

PURPOSE

The aim of the article is to explore the chronic sorrow experiences of the caregivers of clients with schizophrenia in Taiwan.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Descriptive, phenomenological, and purposive sampling and one-to-one, in-depth, and unstructured interviews were used. Data saturation was achieved after interviewing 12 participants. Narratives were analyzed using Colaizzi's (1978) method.

FINDINGS

Three themes and eight subthemes emerged, including encountering sorrow (disordered life, disintegrated self-esteem, little prospect for hope, and collapsed sense of security), talking with sorrow (cognitive change and transformation of action), and living with sorrow (living with defects and living with responsibilities).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Advanced practice psychiatric nurses should take the emotional stability of caregivers into consideration. Caregivers should be encouraged and taught effective culture-oriented strategies for living with sorrow.

Lay beliefs about the causes and cures of schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Lay beliefs about schizophrenia are an important factor associated with treatment-seeking behavior.

AIMS

This study was conducted to investigate the lay beliefs about the causes and treatments of schizophrenia in South Korea.

METHODS

A total of 654 adults (mean age, 35.96 ± 11.33 years) completed two questionnaires assessing their views on the causes and cures of schizophrenia. The factor structures of lay beliefs about the causes and treatments of schizophrenia were then analyzed and the correlations between the resultant factors investigated.

RESULTS

From the cause items, four factors were extracted: Health/Lifestyle, God/Fate, Social/Environmental and Biological. Four factors were also extracted from the treatment items: Self-Help/Stress Management, Physical Treatment/Health Management, Religious Help and Mental Health Service Utilization. Notably, most participants believed that items in the Social/Environmental and Biological factors were the causes of schizophrenia, while they believed that items in the Mental Health Service Utilization and Self-Help/Stress Management factors were the treatments. Participants' beliefs about the causes and treatments of schizophrenia were systematically correlated.

CONCLUSION

Overall, laypeople have reasonably accurate beliefs and a multidimensional view of the causes and treatments of schizophrenia. Nevertheless, our results suggest that public education about the etiology and treatment of schizophrenia are necessary to increase actual usage of mental health services and treatments for schizophrenia.