Presentation Information
[SY-9-02]An anti-stigma campaign in Guangzhou, China: Ideal and reality
*Jie Li (Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University(China))
Keywords:
Anti-stigma,Mental Health,Psychiatry
Background: Guangzhou, one of China’s five major central cities, has been at the forefront of community mental health services in the country, particularly at the regional level. However, according to traditional Chinese culture, a diagnosis of mental illness can be stigmatizing for patients and may lead to a loss of “face”. From a collectivist cultural perspective, it is a long and challenging process for the public to accept and include individuals with mental disorders. Therefore, it is crucial to provide medical assistance and adopt a humanitarian approach towards patients with mental disorders and their families, as mental illness remains an integral part of civilized society.
Methods: Mental health staff in Guangzhou have implemented two anti-stigma programs from 2017 to 2023. (1) The Anti-Stigma Campaign in Guangzhou, China, was conducted in two stages: 2013-2017 (stage one) and 2017-2022 (stage two). (2) Another program involved joining the INDIGO project led by Professor Thornicroft at King’s College London, which was funded by the UK MRC. This project established a coordinated research program in five low- and middle-income countries: China, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, and Tunisia. In China, the project had two sites: Beijing and Guangzhou, operating from 2019 to 2023.
Findings: (1) In collaboration with King’s College London, we completed the introduction, socio-cultural adaptation, and psychometric evaluation of several questionnaires/checklists related to attitudes towards mental illness, barriers to accessing mental health care, stigma-related behavior/discrimination, and stigma stress, including RIBS, MICA-4, BACE, etc. These tools are increasingly utilized in clinical and cross-cultural research among Chinese academics. (2) Anti-stigma training programs have shown effectiveness in reducing stigma or anticipated discrimination for target groups.
Conclusions: Long-term and multidimensional education aimed at reducing the stigma associated with mental illness is essential in China, primarily due to structural discrimination and public stigma.
Methods: Mental health staff in Guangzhou have implemented two anti-stigma programs from 2017 to 2023. (1) The Anti-Stigma Campaign in Guangzhou, China, was conducted in two stages: 2013-2017 (stage one) and 2017-2022 (stage two). (2) Another program involved joining the INDIGO project led by Professor Thornicroft at King’s College London, which was funded by the UK MRC. This project established a coordinated research program in five low- and middle-income countries: China, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, and Tunisia. In China, the project had two sites: Beijing and Guangzhou, operating from 2019 to 2023.
Findings: (1) In collaboration with King’s College London, we completed the introduction, socio-cultural adaptation, and psychometric evaluation of several questionnaires/checklists related to attitudes towards mental illness, barriers to accessing mental health care, stigma-related behavior/discrimination, and stigma stress, including RIBS, MICA-4, BACE, etc. These tools are increasingly utilized in clinical and cross-cultural research among Chinese academics. (2) Anti-stigma training programs have shown effectiveness in reducing stigma or anticipated discrimination for target groups.
Conclusions: Long-term and multidimensional education aimed at reducing the stigma associated with mental illness is essential in China, primarily due to structural discrimination and public stigma.