Empathy, Experience and Cultural Beliefs Determine the Attitudes Towards Depression Among Pakistani Medical Students

Waqas, Ahmed; Sattar, Naveed; Makhmoor, Ayesha; Malik, Aamenah; Hassan, Hamid; Aedma, Kapil Kiran

doi:10.1007/s10597-019-00459-9

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…This contrasts with the finding of a similar study conducted in Lahore, Pakistan which showed a more favourable attitude towards the mentally ill (18). The reason for this disputed finding was most likely due to the fact that the sample population of the aforementioned research consisted of medical students, who besides being educated, have a greater exposure during med-school and have a more complex understanding of psychiatric illnesses, thus were able to display more empathy towards psychiatric patients (19,20).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Stigma Associated with Seeking Psychiatric Care Among the General Population of Islamabad, Pakistan

Javed,

Ahsan,

Khattak

et al. 2024

Pak J Public Health

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Background: The foundations of a good life encompass both physical and mental health. Mental health stigma, any negative belief motivating fear or discrimination against individuals with mental illness, is a significant barrier to seeking help. This study aims to determine the prevalence of stigma associated with consulting psychiatrists for mental health issues. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, data was collected from 600 participants from the general population of Islamabad, Pakistan, using non-probability convenient sampling. A self-constructed, self-administered questionnaire was utilized for data collection, with analysis conducted using the chi-square test, frequencies, and valid percentages. Results: Of the participants, 398 (66.6%) were male and 200 (33.4%) were female. Educational levels included matric 69 (11.8%), Inter 82 (14%), Bachelor 173 (29.6%), and Masters & above 199 (34%). Results revealed that 205 (34.9%) participants perceived stigma associated with seeking psychiatric help, 422 (72.5%) viewed it as a sign of weakness, and 376 (65.4%) believed mentally ill patients could pose a danger to others. Regarding treatment preferences, 491 (88.0%) preferred psychiatrists, 38 (6.8%) favored religious leaders, and only 29 (5.2%) preferred confiding in family or friends. Conclusion: While there is a decrease in stigma associated with seeking psychiatric consultation with higher educational attainment, significant stigma persists, particularly among males, attributed to cultural constraints. Despite this, there is a strong inclination towards seeking professional help for psychiatric illnesses, irrespective of religious beliefs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Stigma Associated with Seeking Psychiatric Care Among the General Population of Islamabad, Pakistan

Javed,

Ahsan,

Khattak

et al. 2024

Pak J Public Health

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“…The participants are not isolated in this view. Pakistani medical students’ attitude toward depression is often rooted from the belief that the disease is due to a weak religious and spiritual background (Waqas et al, 2020). In addition, among African American, depression can be moderated by resilience and spirituality (Freeny et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beliefs and Practices on Depression Among Selected Filipino Indigenous Peoples: A Focused Ethnography

Moreno-Lacalle,

Bangsal,

Bay-Ya

et al. 2023

J Transcult Nurs

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Introduction: Depression beliefs and practices among indigenous peoples are essential to creating responsive mental health services. The purpose of the study is to explore the cultural beliefs and practices on depression among the Ilocanos, Kankana-eys, and Maranaos indigenous peoples in the Philippines. Method: The study employed a focused ethnography research design. The study involved 41 ( N = 41) traditional healers and tribal leaders across Ilocano, Kankana-ey, and Maranao ethnic groups in the Philippine Islands. Interviews, reviews of records, and participant observation were used as data gathering tools. Results: Beliefs about depression include magico-spiritual influence, relational problems, economic pressure, and emotional domains. Practices were divided into three domains: preventive, curative, and rehabilitative interventions. Discussion: The depression beliefs and practices of Ilocano, Kankana-ey, and Maranao indigenous peoples are rooted in their tradition, culture, religion, and medical influences largely rooted in magico-spiritual approaches. These findings suggest the inclusion of culturally-based care to address depression.

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“…A plethora of research in recent decades has shown that stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illnesses are strongly driven by sociocultural and religious factors, as well as individual factors especially empathy and experience and education levels [58][59][60][61]. This is particularly relevant in context of low-and middle-income countries where such attitudes and beliefs toward mental illnesses are prevalent even among the learned.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interventions to Reduce Stigma Related to Mental Illnesses in Educational Institutes: a Systematic Review

et al. 2020

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This investigation reviews the effectiveness of anti-stigma interventions employed at educational institutes; to improve knowledge, attitude and beliefs regarding mental health disorders among students. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist guidelines were followed and protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018114535). Forty four randomized controlled trials were considered eligible after screening of 104 full-text articles against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Several interventions have been employed to tackle stigma toward psychiatric illnesses, including education through lectures and case scenarios, contact-based interventions, and role-plays as strategies to address stigma towards mental illnesses. A high proportion of trials noted that there was a significant improvement for stigma (19/25, 76%), attitude (8/11, 72%), helping-seeking (8/11, 72%), knowledge of mental health including recognition of depression (11/14, 78%), and social distance (4/7, 57%). These interventions also helped in reducing both public and self-stigma. Majority of the studies showed that the anti-stigma interventions were successful in improving mental health literacy, attitude and beliefs towards mental health illnesses.

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Empathy, Experience and Cultural Beliefs Determine the Attitudes Towards Depression Among Pakistani Medical Students

Cited by 7 publications

References 23 publications

Stigma Associated with Seeking Psychiatric Care Among the General Population of Islamabad, Pakistan

Stigma Associated with Seeking Psychiatric Care Among the General Population of Islamabad, Pakistan

Beliefs and Practices on Depression Among Selected Filipino Indigenous Peoples: A Focused Ethnography

Interventions to Reduce Stigma Related to Mental Illnesses in Educational Institutes: a Systematic Review

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