Stigma for mental disorders among the elderly population in a rural setting

Abstract

Aim: The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the extent of stigma for mental disorders among the older adults (aged ≥60 years) from a rural background visiting a general outpatient's clinic at the civil hospital as an attendant of patients. The secondary objective of the study was to assess the correlation of stigma with the sociodemographic profile and family history of mental illness. Methodology: One hundred and four older adults (aged ≥60 years) from a rural background visiting a general outpatient's clinic at the civil hospital as an attendant of patients with physical illnesses were evaluated on Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill (CAMI) Scale. Results: About three-fifths of the participants (59.6%) were females. About one-third (32.7%) of the study participants had a family history of mental illness. On CAMI Scale, the highest score was obtained in the domain of benevolence (BE), followed by authoritarian, community mental health ideology (CMHI), and social restrictiveness (SR). Those with a family history of mental illness and from middle socioeconomic status scored significantly higher on the SR domain of CAMI. Level of education had a significant positive correlation with the scores in the domains of BE, SR, and CMHI. Age had a significant negative correlation with the SR domain score. Conclusions: Elderly in a rural setting, in general, have a positive attitude toward mental illness and have a lower level of stigma associated with mental illnesses. Certain demographic and clinical variables such as middle socioeconomic status, low level of education, and presence of mental illness are associated with stigma.