Personal stigma associated with depression is higher among men and the less well educated, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry. The findings by the Australian team highlight the importance of developing programs to tackle the stigma associated with depression.
Researchers from the Australian National University examined both personal stigma, which is the negative attitude a person has towards depression, and perceived stigma, which describes the stigma felt by a person with depression.
"We already know that stigma is a leading cause of concern for people suffering from depression but up until now not a lot has been done to examine it," explained lead researcher Kathleen Griffiths. "Our work is critical to the successful design and targeting of programs that address the public’s negative attitudes to people with depression and help to reduce the stigma felt by those who are already depressed."
Over six thousand Australian adults, including some with depression, answered the research surveys in an attempt to investigate and compare their own levels of perceived stigma as well as personal stigma. People who had come into contact with depression had lower levels of personal stigma. The researchers found that people who scored highest on a test of depression knowledge were less likely to stigmatize the condition.