Labels used for persons with severe mental illness and their stigma experience in North India

This study aimed to evaluate the extent to stigma experienced by the PMI in the hands of their family members and friends/colleagues in the form of commonly used labels and factors associated with use of various labels for persons with mental illnesses.

191 patients with severe mental illness (120 patients with mood disorders and 71 patients with psychotic illness) were assessed using a self-designed questionnaire for the derogatory labels faced by patients in the hands of their family members and friends/colleagues.

60 % and 39.8 % of the patients reported of being teased by the family members and friends/colleagues respectively for being suffering from mental illness. The most commonly used label/adjective by the family members was Aalsi (lazy) (20.9 %), followed by sustt (lethargic) (15.2 %) and paagal (mad) (14.1 %). The commonly used labels/adjectives by friends/colleagues were paagal (mad) (6.3 %), followed by darpok (coward) (5.2 %). Mean number of labels used by the family members and friends/co-workers were 5.93 and 3.4 respectively. Around one third of the patients (32.5 %) reported that seeking treatment is associated with facing these labels and due to the same they stopped or wanted to stop their treatment. Significantly higher numbers of labels were used for patients with psychotic disorders, when compared to those with affective disorders. Poor functioning was associated with use of significantly higher number of derogatory labels.

Stigmatizing labels are commonly used by family members and friends of the patients with severe mental illness and these cause significant distress to the patients. There is a need to make the society aware that there is a need to stop use of these derogatory labels.