Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T09:40:56.112Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness: a critical appraisal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2011

Christoph Lauber
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This editorial gives an overview of the different roots and forms of discrimination and stigmatisation towards people with mental illness. It explains the differences between stereotype, prejudice and discrimination. It further highlights some research foci of stigma research in the last decade. The emphasis was mostly on investigating the attitudes of the general population, but barely addressed other groups that have probably more intensive and more crucial contact with people with mental illness. Furthermore, only very few intervention programs were evaluated. This editorial concludes that other groups than the general population, e.g., mental health professionals, should be investigated about their attitudes to people with mental illness. Moreover, intervention campaigns should be additionally evaluated after a given period as it is not well known whether effects of interventions are long-lasting. It might be that anti-stigma campaigns, as every public health campaign, must be repeated if sustainability is the goal. Furthermore, the message must be carefully chosen. One option is to replace the “traditional” messages by focussing, e.g., on symptoms of mental illness, for instance anxiety, affective symptoms or suicidal ideations. Finally, a plea for more stigma-related research is given as research in stigma-related issues is also stigmatised.

Type
Editorials
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 17 , Issue 1 , March 2008 , pp. 10 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

References

REFERENCES

Burns, T., Catty, J., Becker, T., Drake, R.E., Fioritti, A., Knapp, ML, Lauber, C, Rössler, W., Tomov, T., van Busschbach, J., White, W., Wiersma, D. & the EQOLISE Group (2007). The effectiveness of supported employment for people with severe mental illness: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 370, 1146–1152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Graf, J., Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Riiesch, P., Meyer, P.C. & Rössler, W. (2004). Perceived stigmatization of mentally ill people and its consequences for the quality of life in a Swiss population. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 192, 542–547.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Sartorius, N., Falcato, L. & Rössler, W. (2000). Public acceptance of restrictions on mentally ill people. Ada Psychiatrica Scandinavica 102, Supplement No. 407, 26–32.Google Scholar
Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Falcato, L. & Rössler, W. (2001). Lay recommendations on how to treat mental disorders. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 36, 553–556.Google Scholar
Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Falcato, L. & Rössler, W. (2002). Public attitude to compulsory admission of mentally ill people. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 105, 385–389.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Falcato, L. & Rössler, W. (2003a). Lay beliefs about causes of depression. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 108, Supplement No. 418, 96–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lauber, C., Eichenberger, A., Luginbuhl, P. & Rössler, W. (2003b). Determinants of family burden in patients with exacerbating schizophrenia. European Psychiatry 18, 285–289.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Falcato, L. & Rössler, W. (2003c). Do people recognise mental illness? Factors influencing mental health literacy. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 253, 248–251.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Falcato, L. & Rössler, W. (2004a). Factors influencing social distance towards people with mental illness. Community Mental Health Journal 40, 265–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lauber, C., Anthony, M., Ajdacic-Gross, V. & Rössler, W. (2004b). What about psychiatrists' attitude to mentally ill people? European Psychiatry 19, 423–427.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lauber, C., Lay, B &, Rössler, W. (2005a). Homelessness among people with severe mental illness in Switzerland. Swiss Medical Weekly 135, 50–56.Google ScholarPubMed
Lauber, C., Keller, C., Eichenberger, A. & Rössler, W. (2005b). Family burden during exacerbation of schizophrenia: quantification and determinants of additional costs. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 51, 259–264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lauber, C., Nordt, C. & Rössler, W. (2005c). Lay beliefs about treatments for people with mental illness and their implications for anti-stigma strategies. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 50, 745–752.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lauber, C., Nordt, C. & Rössler, W. (2005d). Recommendations of mental health professionals and the general population on how to treat mental disorders. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 40, 835–843.Google Scholar
Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Braunschweig, C. & Rössler, W. (2006a). Do mental health professionals stigmatise their patients? Ada Psychiatrica Scandinavica 113, Supplement No. 429, 51–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lauber, C., Lay, B. & Rössler, W. (2006b). Homeless people at disadvantage in mental health services. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 256, 138–145.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lauber, C., Nordt, C., Falcato, L. & Rössler, W. (2006c). Community psychiatry: results of a public opinion survey. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 52, 234–242.Google Scholar
Müller, B., Nordt, C., Lauber, C., Ruesch, P., Meyer, P.C. & Rössler, W. (2006). Mental illness, stigma and social support: A longitudinal approach. Social Science and Medicine 62, 39–49.Google Scholar
Müller, B., Nordt, C., Lauber, C. & Rössler, W. (in press). Changes in social network diversity and perceived social support after psychiatric hospitalisation: results from a longitudinal study. International Journal of Social Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Nordt, C., Rössler, W. & Lauber, C. (2006). Attitudes of mental health professionals towards people with schizophrenia and major depression. Schizophrenia Bulletin 32, 709–714.Google Scholar
Nordt, C., Müller, B., Rössler, W. & Lauber, C. (2007). Predictors and course of vocational status, income, and quality of life in people with severe mental illness: a naturalistic study. Social Science and Medicine 65, 1420–1429.Google Scholar
Phelan, J.C. & Link, B.G. (1998). The growing belief that people with mental illnesses are violent: the role of the dangerousness criterion for civil commitment. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 33, Suppl. No. 1, S7–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed