Perceptions and barriers: Understanding mental illness stigma among patients in Malaysia
Downloads
Previous research on patients, families and communities has discussed the perception of mental illness and how stigma has a very constant impact on every aspect of the lives of individuals with mental illness. However, this issue has not been studied in the Malaysian context until now. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions and experiences that mental health patients with stigma have in Malaysia, as well as how it affects their daily lives. This qualitative research was conducted in Kuala Lumpur using semi-structured interviews with eight university students (three males and five females) undergoing outpatient treatment. Informants were selected using the snowball method, and with diagnoses that included depression, anxiety, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify themes regarding patients’ experiences of stigmatization, negative impacts, and solutions to overcome them. The results showed that social stigma is caused by the social environment, particularly through relationships with family and friends, potentially placing patients in a more intrusive environment, which reduces the level of support available during recovery. The study concluded that for those with mental illness, stigma is a pervasive landmine that they face daily through hurtful comments or jokes.
Aass LK, Moen OL, Skundberg‐Kletthagen H, Lundqvist L, & Schroder A (2022) Family support and quality of community mental health care: Perspectives from families living with mental illness. Journal of Clinical Nursing 31 (7-8):935-948. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15948.
Aldersey H & Whitley R (2015) Family influence in recovery from severe mental illness. Community Mental Health Journal 51: 467-476.
Campo-Arias A, Ceballos-Ospino GA, & Herazo E (2020) Barriers to access to mental health services among Colombia outpatients. The International Journal of Social Psychiatry 66 (6):600-606. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764020925105.
Corrigan P (2004) How stigma interferes with mental health care. American Psychologist 50 (7):614-625. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0003-066X.59.7.614.
Corrigan P, Larson J, & Rusch N (2009) Self-stigma and the “why try” effect: Impact on life goals and evidence-based practices. World Psychiatry 8 (2):75-81. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2051-5545.2009.tb00218.x.
Gowling H, O’Keeffe F, & Eccles FJR (2024) Stigma, coping strategies, distress and wellbeing in individuals with cervical dystonia: a cross-sectional study. Psychology, Health & Medicine 29 (7):1313-1330.https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2024.2305172.
Guarneri JA, Oberleitner DE, & Connolly S (2019) Perceived stigma and self-stigma in college students: A literature review and implications for practice and research. Basic and Applied Social Psychology 41 (1):48-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2018.1550723.
Henderson C, Noblett J, Parke HL, Clement S, Caffrey A, Gale-Grant O, Schulze BM, Druss BG, & Thornicroft G (2014) Mental health-related stigma in health care and mental health-care settings. The lancet Psychiatry 1 (6):467-482.
Holubova M, Prasko J, Ociskova M, Kantor K, Vanek J, Slepecky M, & Vrbova K (2019) Quality of life, self-stigma, and coping strategies in patients with neurotic spectrum disorders: A cross-sectional study. Psychology Research and Behavior Management 12: 81-95. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S179838.
Huggett C, Birtel MD, Awenat YF, Fleming P, Wilkes S, & Williams S (2018) A qualitative study: Experiences of stigma by people with mental health problems. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 91 (3):380-397. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12167.
Iseselo MK, Kajula L, & Yahya-Malima KI (2016) The psychosocial problems of families caring for relatives with mental illnesses and their coping strategies: A qualitative urban based study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. BMC Psychiatry 16 (146):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-0857-y.
Janlov AC, Johansson L, & Clausson EK, (2018) Mental ill-health among adult patients at healthcare centres in Sweden: District nurses experiences. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 32: 987-996. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12540.
Knaak S, Mantler E, & Szeto A (2017) Mental illness-related stigma in healthcare: Barriers to access and care and evidence-based solutions. Healthc Manage Forum 30 (2):111-116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0840470416679413.
Krendl AC & Pescosolido BA (2020) Countries and cultural diferences in the stigma of mental illness: the east–west divide. Journal Cross-Cultural Psychology 51 (2):149-167. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022119901297.
Lawson A & Fouts G (2004) Mental illness in Disney animated films. Canadian Psychiatric Association 49 (1):310-314. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370404900506.
Link B & Phelan J (2001) Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology 27: 363-385. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.363.
Lundvall M, Lindberg E, Horberg U, Palmer L, & Carlsson G (2019) Healthcare professionals’ lived experiences of conversations with young adults expressing existential concerns. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 33: 136-143. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12612.
Malaysian Ministry of Health (2019) Malaysian mental healthcare performance: Technical report 2016-2019. Health Informatics Centre, Planning Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia. https://www.moh.gov.my/moh/resources/Penerbitan/Laporan/Umum/Mental_Healthcare_Performance_Report_2016-2019.pdf.
Mascayano F, Tapia T, Schilling S, Alvarado R, Tapia E, Lips W, & Yang LH (2016) Stigma toward mental illness in Latin America and the Caribbean: A systematic review. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil: 1999) 38 (1):73-85. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1652.
Steinberg DS & Wetterneck CT (2017) OCD Taboo Thoughts and Stigmatizing Attitudes in Clinicians. Community Mental Health Journal 53: 275-280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-016-0055-x.
Tajfel H & Turner JC (1979) An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In: Austin WG & Worchel S (ed). The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole. 33-47.
Teh WL, Samari E, Cetty L, Kumarasan R, Devi F, & Shahwan S (2021) A reduced state of being: The role of culture in illness perceptions of young adults diagnosed with depressive disorders in Singapore. PloS one 16 (6):e0252913. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252913.
Tharaldsen KB, Stallard P, Cuijpers P, Bru E, & Bjaastad JF (2016) ‘It’s a bit taboo’: a qualitative study of Norwegian adolescents’ perceptions of mental healthcare services. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties 22 (2):111-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632752.2016.1248692.
Tran AWY & Lumley MN (2019) Internalized stigma and student well-being: The role of adaptive and maladaptive coping. Social Work in Mental Health 17 (4):408-425. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2018.1563023.
Valery KM & Prouteau A (2020) Schizophrenia stigma in mental health professionals and associated factors: A systematic review. Psychiatry Research 290: 113068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113068.
Weinberg M, Soffer M, & Gilbar O (2024) PTSD and public stigma: Examining the relationship between public stigmas attached to PTSD and self-esteem, spirituality, and well-being. Psychological Trauma: theory, Research, Practice and Policy 16 (1):116-124. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001501.
Whiteford H, Buckingham B, & Harris M (2017) Estimating the number of adults with severe and persistent mental illness who have complex, multi-agency needs. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 51: 799-809. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867416683814.
Yin M, Li Z, & Zhou C (2020) Experience of stigma among family members of people with severe mental illness: A qualitative systematic review. International Journal Mental Health Nursing 29 (2):141-160. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12668.
Zweifel P (2021) Mental health: The burden of social stigma. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management 36 (3):813-825. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.312.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright of this journal is possession of Editorial Board and Journal Manager, by the knowledge of the author, while the moral right of the publication belongs to the author.
The formal legal aspect of journal publication accessibility refers to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA), implies that publication can be used for non-commercial purposes in its original form (cannot be modified).
Every publication (printed/electronic) are open access for educational purposes, research, and library. Other than the aims mentioned above, the editorial board is not responsible for copyright violation.
