Mental-Health-Related Stigma in a Conservative and Patriarchal Community

Aleksandar Popović () and Nada Marić
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Aleksandar Popović: Clinical Center of Montenegro, Clinic for Psychiatry, 81 000 Podgorica, Montenegro
Nada Marić: Institute of Occupational Health and Sports Medicine, 76 300 Bijeljina, The Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Social Sciences, 2023, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Mental health disorders are a significant global disease burden, and the stigma towards people with them is the strongest obstacle to improving mental health and dealing with an enormous public health problem. Montenegro is a small country with a conservative society and a deeply ingrained patriarchy. The aim of this study was to determine attitudes toward mental health disorders in the general population of Montenegro and identify the influence of socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: The research was conducted as an online cross-sectional study. The questionnaire included a demographic section and a section on attitudes towards mental health as well as the CAMI scale (community attitudes toward mental health disorders). Results: The subjective opinions of the respondents showed a lack of awareness about mental health campaigns in the country. Stigma towards mental health was present in younger and more highly educated populations. Conclusions: The obtained data indicate the magnitude of the problem when it comes to the stigma towards mental health disorders in Montenegro. Furthermore, there is a need for a systematic nationwide and metacentric study, identifying and exploring a wide range of individual factors contributing to the stigma of mental health problems.

Keywords: stigma; negative attitudes; discrimination; mental health; mental health disorder; CAMI; conservative; patriarchy; Montenegro; middle-income country (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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