Effect of Gender and Type of Illness on Perceived Stigma and Self-esteem in People with Mental Illness

The stigma associated with mental illness leads to elevated distress and proves to be a hurdle in the path for treatment. The present study aims to assess the effect of gender and type of illness on perceived stigma and self esteem in people with mental illness. A purposive sample of 137 (53 females, 84 males) patients using cross sectional design was collected from Psychiatric Diseases Hospital and De-addiction Centre in Jammu City. The objective of the study was to assess whether there would be significant difference between female and male participants on the dimension of perceived stigma and self esteem; and whether there exists significant difference between people suffering psychotic disorders and those from neurotic disorders on the dimension of perceived stigma and self esteem. Two way Analysis of Variance was carried out. Results indicated significant effect of gender on perceived stigma but not on self esteem. Type of illness had a significant effect on perceived stigma but not on self esteem. Post Hoc test also revealed that the female participants perceived more stigma due to mental illness than males; and people with psychotic disorders perceived stigma more than people with neurotic disorders. While the stigma of having a mental illness can be demeaning in an unsupportive environment, it also reduces the chance of seeking treatment in an attempt to hide the presence of the illness in turn leading to worsening of symptoms. The need of the hour is to psycho-educate masses about mental illness and associated treatment procedures.