Stigma of mental illness constitutes a major problem worldwide. And does it affect not only patients but psychiatrists as well? An international control-group study “Stigmatization of Psychiatry and Psychiatrists” was initiated by Professor Wolfgang Gaebel at the Department of Psychiatry, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany to clarify this issue. The project was funded by the WPA with an additional grant from the German Foundation on Mental Health. This abstract presents preliminary results of Belarusian national part of the study.

The objectives of the Belarusian part of the study were to assess stigma and discrimination of psychiatry and psychiatrists in Belarus and to compare it with a control group of primary care physicians.

200 psychiatrists and 200 GPs filled paper-and-pencil questionnaires developed by research authors. Different domains of stigma were assessed.

The levels of such aspects of stigma, as perceived stigma, discrimination experience, necessity of interventions were significantly higher, whereas such aspects of stigma as stereotype agreement and intentions to change profession because of stigma were significantly lower in a sample of psychiatrists in comparison with GP.

Psychiatrists in Belarus more strongly than GP think that they are stigmatized in perspective of others and have more problems because of stigma than GP. But at the same time the level of agreement with stereotypes toward own profession among psychiatrists is significantly lower. What helps psychiatrists in Belarus to keep their professional identity and good vision of their specialty despite the higher level of stigma pressing from outside?