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Background: Only a handful of studies have explored the effect of the financial crisis on public attitudes to mental illness. Aims: This study examines changes in lay attitudes to depression and psychiatric medication between 2009 and 2014 in Attica region. Furthermore, it explored a potential interaction with employment status. Methods: Data were drawn from two surveys conducted in 2009 and 2014 using the same sampling procedure, interview mode, and survey instrument. Specifically, a random and representative sample of 586 people was recruited in 2009 and of 604 in 2014. Attitudes to depression were measured by the Personal Stigma subscale of the Depression Stigma Scale and attitudes to psychiatric medication by a self-constructed scale with good psychometric properties. Data collection occurred via telephone. Results: There has been no overall change in lay attitudes to depression. Nonetheless, a positive change was recorded with regard to the belief that depression is a sign of personal weakness and a negative change with respect to people with depression being dangerous. Attitudes to psychiatric medication have worsened during the study period. Employment status was not found to interact with the survey year. Conclusion: Anti-stigma efforts should be tailored on counteracting the dangerousness stereotype, while they should prioritize targeting attitudes to psychiatric medication [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The stigma of mental illness and the ensuing social exclusion are due to the lack of knowledge on the causality of mental illness. Aim: The purpose of this study was to record the stigmatic attitudes of health professionals towards depression, patients suffering from it and the available therapeutic approaches. Material and Methods: The sample of the study included 609 health professionals working in the General Hospital of Corinth. The collection of the empirical material was performed using an anonymous questionnaire. The statistical analysis was performed with the statistical program SPSS 17.0. Results: Although the health professionals showed more optimistic attitudes towards the abilities of the mentally ill, they seem to maintain stereotypes, proving that stigmatization of the mentally ill and prejudice around mental illness continue to exist. Participants identified psychosocial and psychotherapeutic interventions as the most effective forms of therapy, such as supportive social destination (74.4%), healthy eating and physical activity (67.9%), psychoanalysis (60.6%), relaxation techniques (60.5%) and counselling (53.2%), recording ambivalent attitudes towards psychiatric medicines, questioning their effectiveness. The economic crisis has had a direct impact on health professionals as well burdened their psyche (78.3%) and created problems in everyday work (86.7%). Conclusion: Health professionals must be protagonists, free from the stigma attached to mental illness as only in this way will they be able to transmit optimism and feelings of acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently the Norwegian Health Minister ordered the creation of medication-free treatment wards as a result of the lobbying by patients' groups and activists. The idea behind this is that patients should have the right to choose their treatment, but for the first time, with this arrangement, the user/patient does not choose between treatment options; he literally determines by himself what efficacious treatment is. In our opinion this is another step towards a 'reverse stigma' which denies patients the right to be considered as such and eventually kicks them out of the health care system, deprives them of the right for proper treatment and care and instead puts them at the jurisdiction of the much cheaper and ineffective social services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The financial crisis has yielded adverse effects on the population worldwide, as evidenced by elevated rates of major depression. International recommendations for offsetting the mental health impact of the recession highlight the need for effective treatment, including reduction in the stigma attached to the disorder. Aims: This study endeavoured to explore lay attitudes to depression and psychiatric medication during a period of financial crisis and to identify their correlates. Furthermore, it investigated their link to help-seeking intentions. Method: A random and representative sample of 621 respondents from Athens area participated in the study (Response Rate = 81.7%). The telephone interview schedule consisted of the Personal Stigma Scale, a self-constructed scale tapping attitudes to psychiatric medication and one question addressing help-seeking intentions. Results: The preponderant stigmatising belief about depression pertains to perceiving the disorder as a sign of personal weakness. In addition, stereotypes of unpredictability and dangerousness were popular among the sample. Nonetheless, stigmatising beliefs are much stronger with regard to psychiatric medication; perceived as addictive, capable of altering one’s personality, less effective than homeopathic remedies and doing more harm than good. Help-seeking intentions were predicted by education, unemployment and attitudes to psychiatric medication solely. Conclusion: Research on the mental health effects of the global recession should encompass studies investigating the stigma attached to mental disorders and its implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The stigma of mental illness has been in the collective consciousness of humanity for eons. Speaking specifically for Greece, it is generally accepted that the stigma is still at high levels and at least higher than that of Western countries. Objective: This study aims to draw the attention of health professionals and the community to the stigma of mental illness and its approach from society and health professionals. Methodology: Extensive literature search in the electronic database "PubMed", "Google Scholar" and "Scopus" and in scientific journals via search engines using the keywords : mental illness, stigma, depression, health professionals. There was a time restriction,( the last ten years.) A key criterion for the selection of the articles was the English language. Results: The stigma of mental illness is attributed to situations of exclusion and negative social reaction which form part of the overall social dynamics, serving the needs and situations that are born in the context of social interaction. The mentally ill tend to receive lower level health facilities worldwide. This is due to the fact that the health professionals, who do not have the appropriate expertise, cannot manage the mentally ill as needed and the communication between them becomes dysfunctional, while they themselves are unable to describe accurately the symptoms they are experiencing. The result is the mentally ill do not receive the care they are entitled to, even if they suffer from several serious health problems. The diagnostic label is an umbrella under which cases of patients are grouped who may nevertheless have very strong differences between them, both as to the condition and as to the diagnosis. Many programs and various measures aimed at combating the stigma and discrimination that accompany the most serious mental disorders have been enacted in Greece. Conclusions: A significant step in combating the stigma is to raise public awareness about mental health issues. Various initiatives and campaigns can contribute to this, at a local or national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]