Association between mental health-related stigma and active help-seeking: systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: British journal of psychiatry Vol. 210; no. 4; pp. 261 - 268
• Main Authors: Schnyder, Nina, Panczak, Radoslaw, Groth, Nicola, Schultze-Lutter, Frauke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Cambridge University Press 01.04.2017
• Subjects: Attitudes; Campaigns; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Delayed; Endorsements; Health behavior; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Help seeking behavior; Humans; Influence; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mental health care; Mental health services; Mentally Ill Persons - psychology; Meta-analysis; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Perceptions; Population; Psychiatry; Public opinion; Random effects; Self esteem; Social Stigma; Statistical analysis; Stereotypes; Stigma; Systematic review; Japan
• ISSN: 0007-1250; 1472-1465
• DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.116.189464

Mental disorders create high individual and societal costs and burden, partly because help-seeking is often delayed or completely avoided. Stigma related to mental disorders or mental health services is regarded as a main reason for insufficient help-seeking. To estimate the impact of four stigma types (help-seeking attitudes and personal, self and perceived public stigma) on active help-seeking in the general population. A systematic review of three electronic databases was followed by random effect meta-analyses according to the stigma types. Twenty-seven studies fulfilled eligibility criteria. Participants' own negative attitudes towards mental health help-seeking (OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.73-0.88) and their stigmatising attitudes towards people with a mental illness (OR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.69-0.98) were associated with less active help-seeking. Self-stigma showed insignificant association (OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.76-1.03), whereas perceived public stigma was not associated. Personal attitudes towards mental illness or help-seeking are associated with active help-seeking for mental problems. Campaigns promoting help-seeking by means of fighting mental illness-related stigma should target these personal attitudes rather than broad public opinions.