Stigma experienced by persons diagnosed to have a mental illness – a descriptive study

Background

In Sri Lanka, mental illness is often considered an embarrassing topic, which is not openly discussed. The stigma associated with mental illness influences the way people choose to seek help and the use of services.

 

Aims

To describe the nature of stigma experienced by patients presenting to the adult psychiatry clinic at Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya.

 

Methods

The stigma scale by King et al. was translated to Sinhala and modified to suit the Sri Lankan context. This modified version was distributed among 100 patients attending the adult psychiatry clinic at T.H. Peradeniya over a consecutive twomonth period.

 

Results

The most commonly endorsed discriminatory items pertaining to stigma were, that the participants felt they could not have a satisfactory married life, and that they felt isolated and talked down to, due to their illness. Almost half said they would avoid telling others about their mental health problems. In contrast, 56.1% reported that they felt that the support from their family has increased due to their mental health problems.

 

Conclusions

Stigma experienced by persons with mental illness is complex and varied, and a better understanding of this important area would enable improved patient care in Sri Lanka.