Stigma toward people with mental health problems in Indonesia

Mental health problems are serious issues in Indonesia. The prevalence of severe mental disorder in Indonesian population is 1.7‰. In community, people with mental disorder are often stigmatized, while in fact this stigmatization could negatively impact them. One of the most common form of discrimination toward people with mental disorder is the practice of pasung.

This research conducted a survey study on 1,269 respondents in East Java (in which the prevalence of severe mental disorder is 2.2‰). The instruments used were Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness (CAMI), Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS), and a sociodemographic questionnaire.

The result shows that better knowledge about mental health was associated with lower public stigma toward people with mental disorder. Significance differences in stigma toward people with mental illness were also found across groups of age, sex, experience of contact, history of mental disorder, attitude toward pasung, marital status, and income level.

The finding implies that anti-stigma interventions in Indonesia should consider associated sociodemographic factors and use psychosocial approach to improve literacy and contact with mental health patients.