(1185) Perception of Stigma Surrounding Mental Health

Objectives: Those who experience mental illness often do not seek care due to negative perceptions surrounding mental health. A TWO-DECADE STUDY THAT USED THE NATIONAL STIGMA STUDIES REPORTED A DECLINE IN PUBLIC OR EXTERNAL STIGMAS TOWARD DEPRESSION. THE STIGMA AND SELF STIGMA SCALE (SASS) FOCUS ON DIFFERENT FORMS OF MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA INCLUDING PUBLIC STIGMA OR EXTERNAL STIGMA AND INTERNAL STIGMA WHICH IS A PERSON’S BELIEF ABOUT THEMSELVES IF THEY HAD A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. STUDIES USING THE SASS FOUND THAT HIGH LEVELS OF BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL STIGMA WERE RELATED TO LOW LEVELS OF SEEKING HELP. A META-ANALYSIS OF 144 STUDIES FOUND AN APPROXIMATE 27% DECREASE IN THE LIKELIHOOD OF SEEKING HELP WHEN FACED WITH STIGMA, WITH THE INTERNAL STIGMA BEING MOST ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED HELP-SEEKING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO USE A SHORTENED FORM OF THE SASS TO COLLECT DATA ON A NATIONAL LEVEL TO INTERPRET BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL STIGMA OF MENTAL HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES. Pharmacists’ awareness of mental health stigmas is essential for fostering a supportive and non-discriminatory healthcare environment. Data collected from this study will help guide future educational efforts for mental health education and resources.

Methods: The Investigation Review Board approved this anonymous observational survey. Participants consist of approximately 1,000 individuals. INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR STUDY PARTICIPANTS WAS ALL GENDERS, AGES 18 YEARS AND OLDER, ALL RACES, ALL EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS, ARE NOT INCARCERATED, HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY QUESTIONS THEMSELVES, AND ARE A US CITIZEN. SURVEY DATA WAS COLLECTED THROUGH A NATIONWIDE CROWDSOURCING PLATFORM, AMAZON MECHANICAL TURK (MTURK). MTURK PROVIDES ACCESS TO A LARGE POPULATION OF PARTICIPANTS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. PARTICIPANTS CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY BASED ON THE DESCRIPTION, THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES, AND THE AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION USERS RECEIVE TO COMPLETE. FUNDING FOR THIS STUDY WAS PROVIDED BY THE COLLEGE’S RESOURCES COMMITTEE. THE 12-QUESTION SURVEY INCLUDED 5 DEMOGRAPHIC AND 7 QUESTIONS WHICH WERE DERIVED FROM THE SASS AND FOCUSED ON EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL STIGMA. RESPONSES TO INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STIGMA QUESTIONS WERE RECORDED USING A LIKERT SCALE WHICH WAS MEASURED WITH 1 = STRONGLY DISAGREE TO 5 = STRONGLY AGREE. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE USED IN THE ANALYSIS AND LIKERT DATA WAS ANALYZED USING MANN WHITNEY U FOR NONPARAMETRIC DATA.

Results: NINE HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE INDIVIDUALS AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY, HOWEVER 8 DID NOT PROVIDE CONSENT AND WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE SURVEY RESULTS GIVING US AN N = 957. REGARDING EXTERNAL STIGMA, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE SURVEYED NATIONALLY HAD THE FOLLOWING OPINIONS OF EITHER STRONGLY AGREED/AGREED THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE MENTAL/EMOTIONAL HEALTH ISSUES ARE NOT REALLY ILL AND ARE LESS RELIABLE. FOR SURVEY QUESTIONS REGARDING INTERNAL STIGMA, THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS EITHER STRONGLY AGREED/AGREED THAT IF THEY HAD A MENTAL/EMOTIONAL HEALTH ISSUE, THEY WOULD WORRY THAT OTHER PEOPLE WOULD THINK THEY WERE INADEQUATE, WOULD AVOID THEM, AND WOULD THINK THAT THEY WERE NOT REALLY ILL. THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS INDICATED THAT HAVING MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL HEATH ISSUES IS NOT VIEWED AS SHAMEFUL. THERE WAS AN ASSOCIATION THAT SHOWED MALES FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE DISCUSSING A FRIEND’S MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WITH THEM.

Conclusions: IN CONCLUSION, OUR FINDINGS ALIGN WITH EXISTING LITERATURE, INDICATING THAT PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OFTEN ALIGNS WITH SCIENTIFIC ATTRIBUTIONS BUT MAY NOT NECESSARILY TRANSLATE INTO CHANGES IN ATTITUDES AND/OR BEHAVIORS. THE CONSEQUENCES OF STIGMA REMAIN SIGNIFICANT, INCLUDING BARRIERS TO SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH CARE. MOVING FORWARD, WE EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF TARGETED INTERVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES AIMED AT REDUCING THESE BARRIERS WHICH CAN FOSTER A MORE INCLUSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS FACING MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.