Medizinische Universität Graz Austria/Österreich - Forschungsportal - Medical University of Graz
Gewählte Publikation:
Rabl, A.
Perceived Mental Health Stigma in Primary Healthcare Settings: A Cross-Sectional Study
Humanmedizin; [ Diplomarbeit ] Medizinische Universität Graz; 2022. pp. 69
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- Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz:
- Betreuer*innen:
- Lenger Melanie
- Reininghaus Eva
- Altmetrics:
- Abstract:
- Background: Mental-health related stigma has manifested itself as an important barrier to the successful treatment of various mental disorders. Primary care physicians often act as a first point of contact with the healthcare system for most patients. Hence, this study aimed to investigate differences in perceived stigmatization in a primary healthcare setting between patients with mental disorders and mentally healthy participants. Disease-specific differences in perceived stigmatization were examined. Correlations between self-assessment of health, as well as between health-behaviour and perceived stigmatization were also investigated. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a self-report questionnaire that included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, provision of somatic healthcare services, participant’s satisfaction with offered medical treatments by primary healthcare physicians, self-assessment of mental and physical health, self-assessment of “health in general”, compliance, lifestyle and perceived stigmatization during medical appointments. The participants were separated into groups based on whether they were diagnosed with a mental disorder in the last 10 years or not (mental disorder versus no mental disorder). The questionnaire also included a question about the specific psychiatric diagnosis. Subsequently, we divided the group with patients with mental disorders into patients with affective disorders and patients with other mental disorders. All analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS 26 and assumed a two-sided, 5% level of significance. Results: There is no significant difference in perceived stigmatization between patients with mental disorders and the control group controlled for gender. Spearman’s correlation showed a significant positive correlation between perceived stigmatization and self-rated health among participants with an affective disorder while there was no significant correlation among patients with other mental disorders and among the control group. Spearman’s correlation resulted in a negative significant correlation between compliance and perceived stigmatization among all study participants. Discussion: Perceived stigmatization significantly correlated with the compliance of the whole study sample, as well as self-rated health among patients with affective disorders. Therefore, these factors need to be considered for further research and interventions to reduce stigmatization in primary healthcare settings. In prior studies, perceived stigmatization in the healthcare system has been identified to contribute to the increase of depressive symptom severity. In order to minimize the negative effects of depression on life quality and expectancy, it is important for people with depression to receive treatment as early as possible, which is why it is necessary to identify possible barriers preventing individuals with a depression from seeking the help they need.