Stigmatization of mental health problems in Albania, ways of diminishing it

Abstract

Background and aim

More recent definitions of stigma focus on the results of stigma – the prejudice, avoidance, rejection and discrimination directed at people believed to have an illness, disorder or other trait perceived to be undesirable.

Methods

During this study, we used Attitudes to Mental Illness Questionnaire (AMIQ), which helped us to understand the differences in the acceptance by the population for 3 different types of diseases: addiction, diabetes and schizophrenia.

Results

(1) Alban has diabetes. (2) Besnik has schizophrenia.

Conclusions

(1) The patients with schizophrenia have higher levels of stigma compared diabetic patients or those alcoholics (Tables 1 and 2 and Fig. 1). (2) Statistical processing carried out concluded that have statistically significant differences between gender-stigma (P = 0.001), age-stigma (P = 0.0001) and education-stigma (P = 0.001) (Fig. 2). (3) Health care workers stigma is exactly the same as in general population (P = 0.01) (Fig. 2).

Recommendations

– Support recovery and social inclusion and reduce discrimination.

– Do not label or judge people with a mental illness, treat them with respect and dignity as you would anyone else.

– Do not discriminate when they come participation, housing and employment.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Table 1

Table 2