Mental illness stigma in Bangladesh: Findings from a cross-sectional survey

Md Omar Faruk; Abid Hasan Khan; Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury; Sabiha Jahan; Depon Chandra Sarker; Erminia Colucci; M Tasdik Hasan

doi:10.1017/gmh.2023.56

Mental illness stigma in Bangladesh: Findings from a cross-sectional survey

Glob Ment Health (Camb). 2023 Sep 18:10:e59. doi: 10.1017/gmh.2023.56. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Md Omar Faruk¹, Abid Hasan Khan², Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury^{1

3}, Sabiha Jahan¹, Depon Chandra Sarker⁴, Erminia Colucci⁵, M Tasdik Hasan^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
² Department of Public Health and Informatics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
³ Nasirullah Psychotherapy Unit, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁴ Child Development Center, Department of Pediatrics, Satkhira Medical College and Hospital, Satkhira, Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, London, UK.
⁶ Action Lab, Department of Human Centred Computing, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁷ Department of Public Health, State University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Background: Mental illness stigma is universally prevalent and a significant barrier to achieving global mental health goals. Mental illness stigma in Bangladesh has gained little attention despite its widespread impact on seeking mental health care in rural and urban areas. This study aimed to investigate mental illness stigma and the associated factors in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh.

Methods: The study areas were divided into several clusters from which 325 participants (≥18 years) were recruited with systematic random sampling. The Bangla version of the Days' Mental Illness Stigma Scale was used to collect data. Independent-samples t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression were performed.

Results: Results suggest that gender, age, geographical location, socioeconomic status, and occupation significantly differed across subscales of stigma. Age, gender, seeking treatment of mental illness, having knowledge on mental health, and socioeconomic status were predictive factors of mental illness stigma. The results also showed a high treatment gap in both rural and urban areas.

Conclusion: This study supports that mental illness stigma is prevalent in Bangladesh, requiring coordinated efforts. Results can inform the development of contextually tailored mental health strategies to reduce stigma and contribute to the promotion of mental health of individuals and communities across Bangladesh.

Keywords: Bangladesh; mental health; rural; stigma; urban.