Stigma of mental disorders

Kristian Wahlbeck

10.1.2017

Anti-stigma work is at the core of anymental health actions

Stigma kills: Life expectancy for people with severe mental illness in the Nordic countries

Wahlbeck et al, BJP 2011

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Life expectancy 1981-2003 (Finnish men)

11.4.2014 Sosiaalipsykiatrian tulevaisuus

Westman 2011, Eur J Publ Health

Finland: Stigma links to impaired access to health

care

The effect of severe mental disorders on the rates of coronary revascularisation and

coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality (A) and coronary hospitalisation (B) (each point

represents 10-year age band across the age groups 40+ years, logarithmic scale).

Manderbacka K et al. BMJ Open 2012;2:e000831

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The three components of stigma

• Ignorance (misinformation)

• Negative attitudes (prejudices)

• Behaviour (discrimination)

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25.11.2016 Policies in economic crises

Stigma can be reduced

8

Social contact

Mental health literacy

Protest

Stereotype

Attitude

Discrimination

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Stereotype

Attitude

Discrimination

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Social contact

Mental health literacy

Protest

Stereotype

Attitude

Discrimination

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Social contact

Mental health literacy

Protest

Legislation& Policy

Social contact: videos are as effectiveas face-to-face contact for youngpeople

Janoušková 2016, Eur Psych

Mental Health First Aid coursesreduce negative attitudes

Hadlaczky et al 2014

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• Positive trends in attitudes

Mental disorder stigma trends in Finland

•Positive trend: Stigma diminishes

•Young people express more positive attitudes thanolder people

•Women express more positive attitudes than men

•Well educated express more positive attitudesthan people with low educatation

•Wide awareness of stigma among users and NGOs, less political awareness

•Attitudes are measured on a yearly basis by the NGO-initiated ”Mental Health Barometer” study

•Extensive research on stigma of mental disorders

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Geographic distribution of stigma research:Peer-reviewed publications 2007-2012

-review papers are excluded-only papers with English-languageabstract are included

Source: Evans-Lacko 2014Eur Psych (submitted)

Stigma

Publication per capita (millions)

None

0-0.3

0.3-0.6

0.6-0.9

0.9-0.12

0.12 and more

low high

Evans-Lacko et al. Eur Psych 2014

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Finnish stigma research

Basically, three lines of research:

1. Experience of stigma and discrimination of people with

mental disorders

2. General population attitudes

e.g. the yearly Mental Health Barometer since 2005

3. Attitudes of professionals and students

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It is not about ”us” and ”them”, it is about ”one of

us”

How can we make people with mental disorders

part of ”us”?

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