@article{01JK8PMDM07D0WQ9W61PXETD0P,
  abstract     = {{Stigma significantly hinders the effective management of mental illness in
Pakistan, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Given that
stigmatizing beliefs can vary across different socioeconomic and demographic
groups, it is crucial to study these variations within the Pakistani context, as most
existing empirical evidence comes from Western contexts. This paper aims to
investigate the prevalence of stigmatizing attitudes and explore the relationship
between the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of adolescents and
young adults and their personal and perceived public stigmatic attitudes towards
mental illness in Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1328
adolescents aged 15-24 from twelve public colleges in Layyah. The survey
assessed personal and perceived public stigmatic attitudes using instruments that
measure social distancing, stigma beliefs, and services stigma. Descriptive
statistics and Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) were employed to evaluate
differences in mean scores and determine the statistical significance of the
observed variations in the scales. The findings indicate that nearly half of the
participants perceived a high level of public social distancing, reflecting a
prevalent sense of social avoidance among adolescents in Pakistan. Similarly, a
substantial portion exhibited stereotypical attitudes towards mental illness, both
personally and publicly. Notably, over 40% of the participants displayed
stigmatizing attitudes toward utilizing professional psychiatric services. Factors
such as gender, residential area, and father’s occupation significantly influenced
these attitudes, with females, rural residents, and children of farmers experiencing
heightened stigma. The study underscores the discrepancy between perceived
public and personal stigmatic attitudes, reveals high levels of stigma associated
with using professional psychiatric services, and illustrates variation in attitudes
by socioeconomic and demographic factors.}},
  author       = {{Abbas, Rizwan and Delaruelle, Katrijn and Bracke, Piet}},
  issn         = {{1995-1272}},
  journal      = {{FWU JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES}},
  keywords     = {{mental illness,mental health stigma,gender,socioeconomic characteristics,adolescents,young adults,personal and perceived public stigma}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{114--126}},
  title        = {{Prevalence and correlates of mental health stigma among Pakistani adolescents and young adults}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.51709/19951272/winter2024/8}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}

Altmetric

View in Altmetric