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Background: Affiliate stigma of family caregivers may severely influence family caregiving, early treatment, and recovery of people with mental illness (PMI), and it may be impacted by the knowledge of mental illness and contact with PMI. However, little is known about the correlation between affiliate stigma of family caregivers of PMI and contact in Hong Kong. Aims: This study aimed to investigate affiliate stigma and its influencing factors among family caregivers of PMI in Hong Kong. Methods: A total of 106 family caregivers in Hong Kong participated in the study. The measurements included affiliate stigma, contacts (quantity, quality, and level), knowledge, prejudice, and discriminatory behaviors. Multiple regression analyses were employed. Results: The mean score of affiliate stigma scale (ASS) in family caregivers was 2.17 (SD = 0.65). In regression analyses, the results showed that contact quantity and contact level were significantly associated with higher affiliate stigma and its cognitive domain, while contact quality (e.g. positive contact) were significantly associated with lower affiliate stigma and its all domains among family caregivers. The positive relationship between prejudicial attitudes and affiliate stigma was also found. Conclusions: Affiliate stigma is severe among family caregivers of PMI in Hong Kong. The results of this study indicate that contact, especially positive contact, contributes to reducing affiliate stigma among family caregivers of PMI. The results of this study are important for development of health policy on reducing stigma in family caregivers of PMI. The effectiveness of Enhancing Contact Model (ECM) should be examined in future anti-stigma interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It remains unknown what the impacts of multiple dimensions of contact (e.g. level, quantity and quality) are on the stigma of mental illness. Aims: To explore the relationship between the multiple dimensions of contact and stigma of mental illness among family members (FM), mental health workers (MHW) and community residents (CR) in Hong Kong. Methods: The stigma, contact and knowledge were measured in FM, MHW and CR in Hong Kong. Multiple regression analyses were used. Results: MHW (n = 141) had higher knowledge, more contact and lower stigma of mental illness than CR (n = 95) or FM (n = 62). Knowledge and contact quality were significantly associated with lower stigma of mental illness in the three groups. However, contact level and contact quantity were not significantly associated with most stigma components. The contact level was positively associated with stigma of mental illness among FM and CR. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the differences in knowledge, contact and stigma of mental illness among different stakeholder groups. This study suggests that positive contact (e.g. equal, supportive, voluntary and pleasant contact) reduces stigma of mental illness, while negative contact (e.g. unfriendly, unsupportive, unpleasant contact) may increase stigma. The Enhancing Contact Model (ECM) should be tested in future anti-stigma interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although knowledge is a crucial component in contact theory delineating how prejudice changes toward out-groups with stigmatized conditions, little is known about the mediating role of knowledge on contact, stigmatizing attitudes, and behaviors toward mental illness. Aim: This study aimed to examine the mechanism underlie contact and stigma change by knowledge. Methods: A total of 366 participants including family members (FM), mental health providers (MHP), and community residents (CR) recruited across communities in Hong Kong and completed measures of contact level, contact quantity, contact quality, mental health related knowledge, prejudice, and discriminatory behaviors. Structural equation modeling was adopted to test the association among the key variables. Results: Higher level of contact was significantly correlated with better knowledge, less prejudice, and less discriminatory behaviors. Knowledge was directly and negatively correlated with prejudicial attitudes but was not significantly related to discriminatory behaviors. Furthermore, lower levels of prejudice were associated with less discriminatory behaviors. Conclusion: Enhancement of contact may increase understanding toward people with mental illness (PMI) and diminish stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors. Although prejudicial attitudes may be reduced by broadening mental health knowledge, increasing knowledge only might not ameliorate discriminatory behaviors. Future research should test mediators on contact and stigma by using longitudinal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-stigma exerts a range of adversities for persons with severe mental illness (SMI), however, little is known about the association between peer contact, social support and self-stigma. Aims: This study aimed to explore the mediating role of social support on the relationship between peer contact and self-stigma among persons with SMI in Hong Kong. Methods: A total of 159 persons with SMI (schizophrenia and mood disorder) in community service centres participated in the study through completing a survey on self-stigma, social functioning, social support, perception of peer contact and mass media. Logistic regression was utilised to explore the influencing factors of self-stigma among the participants. Results: The results showed that 81.1% of participants reported moderate to severe levels of self-stigma. Self-stigma was significantly associated with diverse factors (e.g. social functioning). Importantly, positive peer contact was significantly associated with lower self-stigma of persons with SMI. Social support acted as a mediator between peer contact and self-stigma. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that contact-based interventions, such as enhancing positive peer-to-peer contact, should be conducted for reducing self-stigma among persons with SMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]