Ten
years on - the stigma of depression is not yet
reduced
In
the early 1990's several surveys found an
important level of stigma and discrimination
with regard to people with depression. A decade
later it appeared that attitudes about
depression have improved as compared with
previous surveys. However, these conclusions
were based on studies which used different
methods, preventing any reliable comparison of
data. Therefore a survey was conducted in 2001
using the same methodology as a study in
1990.
The samples studied in 1990 and 2001 were
comparable regarding gender and age and the
interview including a variety of measures
(vignette containing a case history, emotional
reactions, social distance) was identical in
both surveys.
In 1990 and in 2001 respondents reacted to the
depressed person most frequently with pity,
empathy and the desire to help. Following these
the most frequent reactions were fear,
uneasiness, and feelings of insecurity. Less
often, the depressed individual depicted in the
vignette evoked anger, lack of understanding,
irritation, and ridicule. There was a
significant increase in the feeling of pity and
a slight increase in the anger reaction in 2001
as compared with 1990. No change , however, was
observed between both years with regard to fear.
Over the 11 years, the public's desire for
social distance from people suffering from
depression remained unchanged.
These findings do not support the hypothesis of
an improvement in the attitudes to people with
depression in recent years and demonstrate that
these patients are still exposed to negative
reactions of the public. It is therefore still
necessary to devote considerable effort and
resources to inform the public about depressive
illness and improve public acceptance of people
with depression. Angermeyer
MC, Matschinger H. Public attitudes to people
with depression: have there been any changes
over the last decade? J Affect Disord 83:
177-182, 2004.