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Published on: December 2, 2015
Stigma and depression among primary care patients
Carol Roeloffs1, Cathy Sherbourne, Jürgen Unützer
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. croeloff@ucla.edu
General Hospital Psychiatry
|September 16, 2003
Summary
Depression stigma impacts employment and insurance for many patients. Stigma concerns, especially regarding friendships, correlate with unmet mental health care needs.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health
- Primary Care
- Social Determinants of Health
Background:
- Stigma is a significant barrier for individuals with depression.
- Understanding the multifaceted impact of stigma is crucial for effective healthcare delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess stigma affecting employment, health insurance, and friendships in depressed primary care patients.
- To compare stigma associated with depression to that of other chronic conditions.
- To examine the association between depression-related stigma and health services use.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 1,187 depressed patients across 46 U.S. primary care clinics.
- Comparison of stigma levels for depression versus HIV, diabetes, and hypertension.
- Analysis of stigma's association with health services use and unmet mental health care needs over 6 months.
Main Results:
- 67% expected stigma to affect employment, 59% health insurance, and 24% friendships.
- Depression stigma exceeded that for hypertension and diabetes, but not HIV.
- Stigma varied by age, gender, ethnicity, social support, and number of chronic conditions.
- Stigma was not linked to service use, but friendship stigma correlated with unmet mental health needs.
Conclusions:
- Stigma is prevalent among depressed primary care patients and influenced by demographic and clinical factors.
- Concerns about stigma, particularly regarding social support, are linked to unmet mental health care needs.
- Further research on stigma and service utilization in diverse populations is warranted.
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