Richard Dean Clod C. Dela Cruz | Kelvin Michael G. Dela Cruz | Micah Jeanne A. Dela Rosa | Maria Kristina P. Descalzo | Andrew Carlo F. Dioso | Angelica Mae Camille P. Dizon | Ellen Stephanie M. Dizon | Vince Gabriel B. Dulay | Justine William T. Duran | Felicitas Asuncion C. Elago | Nicole Pauline L. Ereño | Angela B. Escobia | Karl Lorenzo Miguel M. Escovidal | Miraflor A. Espeleta | Franciosa Gavino Collins
Introduction Stigmatizing attitudes are barriers to treatment of mental health disorders. The burden of stigma has not been established locally. This study aimed to assess the stigma in the community by determining the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of barangay residents towards mental health and persons with mental health illness. Methods A total of 422 participants were included using convenience sampling. Participants were given self-administered questionnaires that consisted of the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS), Community Attitudes Towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI), and Reported and Intended Behavior Scale (RIBS) tools. The mean scores and percentages were computed and compared across the sociodemographic data of the respondents. Results Knowledge levels were relatively high with a mean score of 26.63. Depression, stress, bipolar disorder and drug addiction were recognized as mental illnesses by the majority of the participants. Scores in the stigmatizing ideologies authoritarianism (3.07) and social restrictiveness (2.58) were low, while the positive ideologies benevolence (3.76) and community health ideology (3.85) had higher scores. Participants were reluctant to work with mentally-ill people (3.18) but were willing to be friends with them (3.87). Conclusion This study concludes that the respondents were generally knowledgeable about mental health illness. There was a general acceptance and less stigmatizing attitude, and a willingness to interact with people with mental illness.
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