Stigma toward mental disorders and associated factors among community mental health workers in Wuhan, China
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Updated: Jul 20, 2025

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Published on: July 15, 2025
Mo Chen1,2, Guo-Rong Lin3,4, Gui-Yang Wang5
1Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.
Background:
Stigma toward mental disorders (STMD) is a significant barrier to mental health service delivery. To improve the provision of mental health services for community-dwelling residents in China, this study investigated STMD and its associated factors in community mental health workers (CMHWs) in Wuhan, China.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, a total of 3869 CMHWs (22.9% men and 37.1 ± 8.4 years old) were randomly selected through multistage sampling and invited to participate in this survey. The perceived devaluation-discrimination scale (PDD) and the National Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (NMHLQ) were used to assess STMD and mental health knowledge, respectively. The presence of STMD was indicated by a mean item score of 3.0 or higher on the PDD. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with STMD.
Results:
Of the CMHWs, 41.9% had poor mental health knowledge (NMHLQ score < 80), and 18.5% exhibited STMD. In multiple regression analysis, factors significantly associated with STMD were social workers (vs. primary care physicians, OR = 1.44, p < .001), poor self-rated capacity to handle common mental health problems (vs. good, OR = 1.57, p < .001), and poor mental health knowledge (vs. NMHLQ score ≥ 80, OR = 1.46, p < .001).
Conclusion:
STMD is common among Chinese CMHWs. To reduce STMD among CMHWs, training programs in mental health care skills and mental health education may be necessary.
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