Association of lay beliefs about causes of depression with social distance

Lifestyle causal beliefs are associated with higher personal and perceived stigma regarding depressive disorders: results from a representative population survey

BACKGROUND

Depression is a prevalent and severe disorder associated with considerable stigma. This stigma contributes to the suffering and impedes help seeking behaviour of those affected. Stigma can be influenced by causal beliefs about depression and personal contact with people suffering from depression. The aim of this study was to investigate (1) the associations between beliefs about the aetiology of depression and personal / perceived stigma, as well as (2) a possible moderating effect of personal contact with people with depression on these associations.

METHODS

Stigma, causal beliefs, and contact with depression were assessed in a representative online survey among German adults (N = 5,000). Multiple regression analyses were performed with contact levels (unaffected vs. personally affected (diagnosed) vs. personally affected (undiagnosed) vs. affected by relatives with depression vs. persons who treat depression) and causal beliefs (biogenetic vs. psychosocial vs. lifestyle) as predictor variables for personal and perceived stigma as dependent variables.

RESULTS

Higher personal stigma was associated with lifestyle causal beliefs (p < .001, f² = 0.07), lower personal stigma with biogenetic (p = .006, f² = 0.01) and psychosocial (p < .001, f² = 0.02) causal beliefs. A positive interaction between psychosocial beliefs and the contact group "relatives" (p = .039) further suggests that this contact group does not benefit so strongly from psychosocial causal beliefs regarding personal stigma. Higher perceived stigma was associated with psychosocial (p < .001, f² = 0.01) and lifestyle (p < .011, f² = 0.01) causal beliefs. Regarding contact levels, the "unaffected" had significantly higher personal stigma scores than each of the other contact groups (p < .001). The contact group "affected (diagnosed)" had significantly higher perceived stigma scores than "unaffected".

CONCLUSIONS

The available data show that anti-stigma campaigns should clearly communicate, that depression is not caused by an unfavorable lifestyle. In general, psychosocial or biological explanatory models should be explained. Especially for the target group "relatives of depressive patients", who can be an important support for patients, education about biogenetic explanatory models should be provided. However, it is important to note that causal beliefs are only one of many factors that impact on stigma.

Depression-related stigma: comparing laypersons' stigmatic attributions towards younger and older persons

Objectives: A great amount of interest has been invested in the understanding of public stigma toward persons with depression. However, published studies were mostly restricted to the study of stigma toward a young person with depression. This study was aimed to compare public stigma towards a younger and an older person with depression among a sample of the Jewish adult population in Israel.Method: Computerized phone interviews were conducted with 393 participants (aged 18+) who were randomly presented with one of two vignettes describing a younger or an older person with depression.Results: Overall, the participants reported low levels of stigma towards a person with depression. With the exception of pity, the younger person elicited higher levels of stigmatic attributions in all dimensions (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) in comparison to the older person. Regardless of the age of the person with depression, only emotional reactions - but not cognitive attributions-were associated with discriminatory attributions.Conclusion: Our findings stress the importance of paying attention to the age of the person with depression in anti-stigma campaigns and studies to better understand the meaning and consequences of depression-stigma.

Advancing Research to Eliminate Mental Illness Stigma: The Design and Evaluation of a Single-Arm Intervention Among University Students in Singapore

Background

Anti-stigma interventions for school and college students have been studied in several countries, but to the best of our knowledge, this has not been addressed in Singapore. The current study was designed to address this lacuna and aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an anti-stigma intervention focusing on depression among university students in Singapore.

Methods

A one-off intervention comprising education and personal contact with a person with lived experience of depression was carried out in nine consecutive sessions over 6 months (October 2018 to April 2019) among 390 university students. Knowledge of depression and extent of stigma toward mental illness were assessed pre- and post-intervention as well as at 3-month follow-up.

Results

The intervention was effective in improving depression knowledge (d = 1.09; p < 0.001), as well as reducing social distancing (d = 0.54; p < 0.001) and personal stigma (dangerous/undesirable: d = 0.60; p < 0.001 and weak not sick: d = 0.10; p < 0.033) pre- to post-intervention as well as pre- intervention to 3-month follow-up (p < 0.005).

Limitations

While 3-month follow-up data indicates favorable medium-term impact on knowledge and stigma; the study lacks long-term follow-up to examine the impact of anti-stigma interventions across time. The data were collected through self-report measures; however, social desirability bias is possible despite the assurances of confidentiality.

Conclusion

Given the impact of the intervention, there is a need to consider the feasibility, challenges, and enablers of implementation of such interventions into the curriculum of university students to ensure a broader and sustained outreach and stigma reduction.

Stigma towards depression in a community-based sample in China

OBJECTIVE

Understanding the general public's beliefs about depression is essential if public education and anti-stigma interventions are to be effective. This study aimed to examine Chinese respondents' personal attitudes towards depression and their perceptions about the attitudes of others regarding depression and to identify the correlates of personal stigma and perceived stigma towards depression.

METHODS

A community survey was conducted among 1697 residents aged between 16 and 89 years of a large city in central China using the Depression Stigma Scale. Participants completed questionnaires assessing experiences of depression and family functioning.

RESULTS

Participants reported high levels of stigma towards depression, with greater perceived stigma than personal stigma. Increasing age was correlated with greater personal stigma and perceived stigma. Higher personal stigma was also significantly correlated with being male, unemployed and good family function.

CONCLUSION

Concerningly high levels of stigmatizing beliefs towards depression were prevalent among the public. This may be a reason why people with mental disorders do not seek assistance. This highlights the importance of the need for health education and promotion activities. Findings from this study suggest that targeted, culturally appropriate education programs are needed to improve knowledge about depression in the broader community.

Do beliefs about depression etiologies influence the type and severity of depression stigma? The case of Arab adolescents

PURPOSE

Research has documented that holding certain etiological beliefs about depression can determine the level of stigma experienced by individuals with depression. To date, no studies have yet examined this relationship among adolescents. Using a sample of Arab adolescents, the purpose of this study was to describe adolescents' beliefs about the etiology of depression, and examine whether these beliefs influence the type and severity of depression stigma.

METHODS

A nationwide school survey was conducted in a representative sample of Jordanian public and private schools located in Jordan, a Middle-Eastern Arab country. A total of 2,349 adolescents aged 12-17 (59% female) completed and returned an anonymous survey that included measures on adolescents' sociodemographic and health characteristics, depression symptoms, depression stigma, and depression etiological beliefs. An exploratory factor analysis with principal components analysis (PCA) was used to examine the factor structure of the Depression Etiological Beliefs Scale. The stability of the PCA findings was tested using a cross-validation method. Regression analyses were performed to examine whether depression etiological beliefs, depression severity, or their interaction are associated with depression stigma.

RESULTS

Adolescents endorsed multiple etiological beliefs about depression. The beliefs in which likely or very likely was most often reported were stressful events in one's life (72%), social factors (65%), and one's weak will (56%). On the other hand, the least reported beliefs were genetic or inherited problems (24%), chemical imbalance (30%), and punishment for wrong doings (35%). The interaction between adolescents' depression severity and depression beliefs significantly predicted personal stigma. Adolescent sex, age, and region of residence significantly affected the relationship between depression beliefs and stigma.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses need to consider the beliefs and attitudes their patients have around depression, as these can influence symptom severity, comprehensive treatment plans, and adherence to provider recommendations. This study provides a better understanding of how depression beliefs affect Jordanian adolescents' attitudes toward depression, which can guide intervention programs to increase awareness about depression and promote treatment utilization.

Depression in Young People: More than Just a Bad Day-A Concept Analysis

AIM

Suicide from depression is the second leading cause of death in young people. To better understand depression, a concept analysis was conducted using the Lorraine Walker and Kay Avant method.

SOURCE OF DATA

Three electronic databases searched using keywords such as depress*, stigma, and feeling depressed yielded 40 articles in English from 2006 through 2016.

RESULTS

Primary attribute was depressed mood; stress was the primary antecedent found in young people. Consequences included health, emotional, and financial well-being.

CONCLUSION

A better understanding of depression by healthcare providers can foster quicker assessment and treatment in young people and impact final outcome-suicide.