Stigma of mental illness and cultural factors in Pacific Rim region: a systematic review

Benny Prawira Siauw

Abstrak

Background
Although cultural factors play a crucial role in experience of stigma, there is scant review on the impact and importance of culture on stigma of mental illness across Pacific Rim Region. This study aims to investigate: 1) the cultural factors related to stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness in Pacific Rim region, and 2) culture-specific measures and interventions on stigma of mental illness.

Methods
A systematic search of papers was conducted in the MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Google scholar through January 2003 to April 2019.

Results
Forty-one studies in Pacific Rim region which met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The rate of stigma of mental illness (e.g., public stigma: from 25.4 to 85.2%) was relatively high in Pacific Rim region. Culture factors (e.g., Collectivism, Confucianism, face concern and familism, religion and supernatural beliefs) contributed to people’s stigmatizing behaviors and attitudes toward persons with mental illness, their relatives and mental health professionals. Certain measurements were developed and employed to assess different type of cultural factors related to stigma of mental illness.

Conclusions
Cultural factors play an important role in influencing the rate and performance of stigma of mental illness. Further research on stigma of mental illness and culture-specific interventions to reduce the stigma should be conducted in the Pacific Rim region.

Penulis

Mao-Sheng Ran, Brian J. Hall, Tin Tin Su, Benny Prawira, Matilde Breth-Petersen, Xu-Hong Li & Tian-Ming Zhang

Kutip artikel ini

Ran, MS., Hall, B.J., Su, T.T. et al. Stigma of mental illness and cultural factors in Pacific Rim region: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry 21, 8 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02991-5

Benny Prawira Siauw

Benny adalah seorang suicidolog dan penggiat kesehatan jiwa remaja dan populasi khusus lainnya. Sebagai Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Advocate, Benny adalah Penggagas sekaligus Kepala Koordinator Into The Light Indonesia sejak 2013. Ia saat ini sedang menempuh pendidikan Magister Psikologi Sosial Kesehatan di Unika Atma Jaya (bukan seorang psikolog klinis untuk diagnosis dan terapi). Ia bercita-cita menjadi peneliti lapangan terkait aspek perilaku, struktur sosial dan budaya dalam kesehatan jiwa, terutama dalam pembahasan stigma dan faktor risiko bunuh diri. Baginya, kesehatan jiwa tidak dapat dipisahkan dari kesehatan fisik sebagaimana faktor personal individu tidak dapat dipisahkan dari faktor sosial makro. Di sela waktu senggangnya, ia suka berolahraga, tidur dan mengasah rasa dalam rangkaian kata.