BORIS Theses

BORIS Theses
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Beware of the mad hatter. Mental illness stigma and healthcare utilisation for mental problems

Schnyder, Nina (2017). Beware of the mad hatter. Mental illness stigma and healthcare utilisation for mental problems. (Thesis). Universität Bern, Bern

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Abstract

Mental disorders cause high individual and societal costs and burden. Although they are treatable and potentially preventable, healthcare utilisation is often delayed or completely absent. Important barriers of healthcare utilisation are mental illness related stigmatising attitudes. Stigma is not a unitary concept but covers several aspects whose single contributions to delay or absence of healthcare utilisation are so far unclear. The first aim of this PhD thesis was to examine associations between different aspects of stigma and healthcare utilisation in a meta-analysis, providing more robust and aggregated evidence to the growing body of literature in this field. Stigmatising attitudes are not independent of each other and are influence by other factors, an important one being knowledge about signs and treatment of mental disorders, i.e. mental health literacy (MHL). In particular persons’ causal or etiological explanations for a mental illness were associated with stigmatising attitudes before. The second aim of this PhD thesis was to examine associations between persons’ causal explanations for mental disorders and stigma, and between stigma and healthcare utilisation in the general population. Using structural equation modelling and a comprehensive set of variables in order to elucidate complex relations between the latent constructs, makes this work stand out from majority of previous research. The main findings of this PhD will be discussed in the light of earlier studies and social psychological research and theories. Furthermore, suggestions for future studies and for campaigns promoting healthcare utilisation via improving MHL and stigmatising attitudes will be derived.

Item Type: Thesis
Dissertation Type: Single
Date of Defense: 2017
Additional Information: e-Dissertation (edbe)
Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health
Institute / Center: 04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > Research Division
Depositing User: Admin importFromBoris
Date Deposited: 25 Jan 2019 12:57
Last Modified: 04 Feb 2019 08:27
URI: https://boristheses.unibe.ch/id/eprint/855

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