Researchers examine the relationship between stigma and the engagement in mental health treatment among adults with serious mental illness. The authors collected data from 167 adults with serious mental illnesses who received treatment from one of 5 psychosocial rehabilitation centres. They used age, race gender and education as moderators of the relationship between stigma-related variables and level of treatment engagement. Treatment engagement was assessed by the patient’s primary mental health care providers, they used Pearson’s correlations and multiple linear regressions from data collected by the Service Engagement Scale. The authors found that treatment engagement was not correlated to experiences of stigma, and that only education was a significant moderator. Application of stigma to one’s self was associated with poorer treatment engagement for those with a higher level of education. They concluded that among higher educated individuals’ efforts to prevent internalized stigma could be vital to promote positive mental health treatment.
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Open access https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-44730-001
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