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. 2024 Nov 28:15:1463879.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1463879. eCollection 2024.

The survey of the status of self-stigma of depression and its relationship with demographic factors in Gonabad, Iran

Hadi Tehrani #  1   2 , Fatemehzahra Naddafi #  3 , Mahbobeh Nejatian  4 , Alireza Jafari  5
Affiliations

The survey of the status of self-stigma of depression and its relationship with demographic factors in Gonabad, Iran

Hadi Tehrani et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is a common mental illness. Depression stigma can reduce individuals' desire to seek mental health services. No study has investigated depression self-stigma and its relationship with demographic factors in the general population of Gonabad city in Iran. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the relationship between depression self-stigma and demographic factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,075 Iranians living in Gonabad city in 2024. Proportionate stratified sampling was used to select participants. Data collection tools included demographic data and the self-stigma of depression scale (SSDS). Higher SSDS scores indicate greater depression self-stigma. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24 with the independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation.

Results: The mean (± SD) of self-stigma of depression (SSD) was 42.51 (9.31). Only 16.1% of the participants mentioned that they had a mental disorder, and 17.2% reported that they had been referred to a psychologist. Based on the results, males had more SSD (p = 0.028), help-seeking inhibition (p < 0.001), and shame (p = 0.002) than females. There were no significant relationships between education level, economic status, age group, occupation, and marital status with SSD (p > 0.05). Individuals with a history of mental disorder had higher SSD (p = 0.011) and help-seeking inhibition (p = 0.004). People who did not obtain information related to mental illness had more help-seeking inhibition (p = 0.001). Based on the Pearson correlation results, a positive and significant correlation coefficient was observed between the subscales of SSDS (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The results of the study showed that SSD level was 42.51 ± 9.31 from 70. SSD is one of the main obstacles to help-seeking and treatment, so providing knowledge and awareness in this area is essential to the community.

Keywords: depression; help seeking; mental health; self-stigma; stigma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Results of sources of obtaining health information.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Results of sources of obtaining information related to mental illness.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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