Stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and their family members

Abstract

This article describes the nature of stigma attached to persons with mental illness and their family members. Stigma attached to persons with mental illness and those close to them, and the stigma experienced or internalized by persons with mental illness are delineated. The results present data about prevalence of mental illness in our country and the cross-cultural studies indicating the prevalence of different types of stigma in different cultures. Different modes of stigmatization and their impact on persons with mental illness are discussed, as well as the ways in which mass-media create stereotypes about mental illness. Summaries of the scales used for measuring stigma and anti-stigma programmes are also included.

U članku se razmatraju pitanja vezana za prirodu stigme prema osobama s mentalnom bolešću i prema članovima njihovih porodica. Određuju se pojam stigme i vrste stigme (javna stigma prema osobama s mentalnom bolešću i prema njima bliskim osobama, kao i doživljena i internalizovana stigma samih osoba s mentalnom bolešću). Razmatraju se rezultati kroskulturalnih istraživanja o prevalenciji različitih oblika stigme u različitim kulturama. Iznose se podaci o prevalenciji mentalnih bolesti u našoj zemlji i razmatra koje su manifestacije stigme, kako stigmatizacija utiče na osobe s mentalnom bolešću i kako sredstva masovne komunikacije utiču na formiranje stereotipnih stavova prema mentalnoj bolesti. Na kraju se iznosi kratak pregled skala za merenje različitih oblika stigme i antistigma programa.