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IMH Publication
Impact of perceived stigma and its effects on help seeking behaviors of young people with depression
11 February 2022
Stigma from family and friends can delay young people with depression from seeking help. Read this study to understand the barriers to help-seeking and how awareness can make a difference.
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Perceived mental illness stigma among family and friends of young people with depression and its role in help-seeking: a qualitative inquiry
Ellaisha Samari, Wen Lin Teh, Kumarasan Roystonn, Fiona Devi, Laxman Cetty, Shazana Shahwan & Mythily Subramaniam
Background
Depressive disorders are a serious public health concern. Left untreated, further clinical distress and impairment in important life domains may arise. Yet, the treatment gap remains large. Prior research has shown that individuals with depressive disorders prefer seeking help from informal sources such as family and friends ahead of formal sources. However, this preference has its disadvantages such as experiencing actual, perceived and internalized stigmatizing responses from them which may delay or deter help-seeking. This paper aimed to determine the role of perceived stigma among family and friends in an individual’s help-seeking behavior.
Methods
Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with patients with depressive disorders from a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Singapore to capture individuals’ self-reported experience with depression and stigmatization among family and friends. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data of 33 young adults (mean age = 26 years, SD =4.6; 18 female, 15 male) were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results
In all, four broad themes were developed: (1) absence of support, (2) provision of unhelpful support, (3) preference for non-disclosure, and (4) opposition towards formal help-seeking. Lack of awareness of depression and perpetuation of stigma manifests as barriers towards help-seeking in the form of absence of support and provision of unhelpful support which subsequently leads to a preference for non-disclosure, as well as opposition by family and friends towards formal help-seeking.
Conclusions
Data from this study can contribute to the development of public health programs aimed at improving awareness and support from family and friends and facilitating earlier help-seeking among young people with depressive disorders.