Stigma Causing Delay in Help Seeking Behavior in Patients With Mental Illness

Authors

  • R. Amatya Dhulikhel Hospital- Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
  • P. Chakrabortty MAHSA University, Kualampur, Malaysia
  • J.B. Khattri Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal
  • P. Thapa Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal
  • K. Ramesh Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/jpan.v7i2.24610

Keywords:

Discrimination, disclosure, help seeking delay, stigma

Abstract

Introduction: Stigma is a sign of disgrace or discredit that sets a person apart from others. Stigma has detrimental effect on stigmatized persons’ life which may even hamper or delay the help seeking behavior, which ultimately increases the duration of untreated mental illness.

Material And Method: A cross sectional survey was conducted among 90 psychiatry outpatients attending Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. Discrimination and disclosure sub-scale of the Stigma scale and ISMI- 10 was administered to measure the extent of stigma. Help seeking delay was assessed using pre- structured questionnaire. Prediction of help seeking delay due to stigma was identified using logistic regression.

Results: Low mean value on the subscales of the Stigma scale indicated low public stigma in the participants. 34% of the study population exhibited moderate to high self stigma. The full model for initial help seeking delay using logistic regression explained 21.8% (Cox and Snell R square) and 31.5% (Nagelkerke R square) of the variance in initial help seeking delay while the model for the recent help seeking delay explained 13.6% (Cox and Snell R square) and 20.8 % (Nagelkerke R square) of the variance in recent help seeking delay. The strongest predictor of both initial and recent help seeking delay was discrimination subscale (OR= 1.11; 95% CI= 1.033- 1.195).

Conclusion: Discrimination experienced due to stigmatization leads to delay in help seeking behavior. Public stigma experienced by stigmatized individual acts as a stronger predictor for help seeking delay than self stigma.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
497
PDF
457

Author Biographies

R. Amatya, Dhulikhel Hospital- Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal

Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry

P. Chakrabortty, MAHSA University, Kualampur, Malaysia

Professor, Department of Psychiatry

J.B. Khattri, Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal

Associate Professor & Head, Department of Psychiatry

P. Thapa, Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal

Asst. Professor, Department of Psychiatry

K. Ramesh, Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal

Ex- Professor of Department of Psychiatry

Downloads

Published

2018-12-31

How to Cite

Amatya, R., Chakrabortty, P., Khattri, J., Thapa, P., & Ramesh, K. (2018). Stigma Causing Delay in Help Seeking Behavior in Patients With Mental Illness. Journal of Psychiatrists’ Association of Nepal, 7(2), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.3126/jpan.v7i2.24610

Issue

Section

Original Articles