Stigmatization of people with depression in students

Abstract

Introduction More than 350 million people suffer from depression. Stigmatization of people with depression is an important barrier in seeing a specialist and in compliance with treatment. Over 50% of people with depression have never visited a psychiatrist. Purpose To study the social and demographic characteristics of stigmatization towards people with depression in students from Moldova. Material and methods In a cross-sectional study, were evaluated 414 students. The data were collected on the basis of a self-reported anonymous questionnaire, that measured stigmatization of people with depression and individual and family characteristics of the participants. Stigmatization was assessed using the Depression Stigmatization Assessment Scale (DSS), developed by Kathleen Griffiths. Results The level of average stigmatization (standard deviation) measured by the Stigmatization Evaluation Scale for People with Depression (DSS) showed lower values for personal stigmatization 18.83 (4.88) compared to perceived stigmatization 26.21 (3.30), p <0.001. There is no difference in the level of stigmatization regarding the presence of a person with depression in the family. Previous studies show that through contact with people with depression, the level of stigma decreases. Conclusions The level of personal stigmatization towards people with depression is lower than compared to perceived stigmatization in Moldova. Further research is needed to understand the characteristics of stigma against depression.