Abstract:
Background: Public stigma against family members of people with mental illness is a negative attitude by the
public which blame family members for the mental illness of their relatives. Family stigma can result in self social
restrictions, delay in treatment seeking and poor quality of life. This study aimed at investigating the degree and
correlates of family stigma.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional house to house survey was conducted among 845 randomly selected
urban and rural community members in the Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center, Southwest Ethiopia. An interviewer
administered and pre-tested questionnaire adapted from other studies was used to measure the degree of family
stigma and to determine its correlates. Data entry was done by using EPI-DATA and the analysis was performed
using STATA software. Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression analysis was done to identify the correlates of
family stigma.
Results: Among the total 845 respondents, 81.18% were female. On a range of 1 to 5 score, the mean family
stigma score was 2.16 (±0.49). In a multivariate analysis, rural residents had significantly higher stigma scores (std.
β = 0.43, P < 0.001) than urban residents. As the number of perceived signs (std. β = −0.07, P < 0.05), perceived
supernatural (std. β = −0.12, P < 0.01) and psychosocial and biological (std. β = −0.11, P < 0.01) explanations of
mental illness increased, the stigma scores decreased significantly. High supernatural explanation of mental illness
was significantly correlated with lower stigma among individuals with lower level of exposure to people with
mental illness (PWMI). On the other hand, high exposure to PWMI was significantly associated with lower stigma
among respondents who had high education. Stigma scores increased with increasing income among respondents
who had lower educational status.
Conclusions: Our findings revealed moderate level of family stigma. Place of residence, perceived signs and
explanations of mental illness were independent correlates of public stigma against family members of people with
mental illness. Therefore, mental health communication programs to inform explanations and signs of mental
illness need to be implemented.
