Stigmatizing attitudes toward psychiatric disorders: A cross-sectional population-based survey

Background: Stigmatizing attitudes against individuals diagnosed with mental illness could increase the severity of psychiatric symptoms, lead to delay in getting medical support, and decrease adherence to treatments. Identifying the groups most associated with stigmatization could orientate actions to reduce this prejudice and improve patients' prognosis. Objective: To investigate variables associated with stigmatization toward psychiatric disorders in Brazil. Methods: A Web-based survey was sent out to assess the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents and their perception of mental illness. Included participants were composed of Brazilians aged 18 years or over, with access to the internet and social networks. The questionnaire was available from June to August 2018 on Facebook. Results: A total of 2414 respondents were included. The majority were female, white, aged between 18 and 29 years, and had more than 10 years of study. The variables associated with stigma were male sex, fewer years of education, lower household income, the presence of a psychiatric disorder in a first-degree relative, and internalized stigma. Conclusions: The present study identified variables associated with the stigma against psychiatric disorders. Future studies should propose intervention strategies, such as to foster education about mental illness and to promote the importance of seeking help from a mental health professional, to address this problem in Brazil.