Mental health-related stigma and attitudes toward patient care among providers of mental health services in a rural Chinese county

Background and aims: The increasing prevalence of mental illness and low treatment rate presents a pressing public health issue in China. Pervasive stigma is a significant barrier to mental health recovery and community inclusion. In particular, stigmatizing or supportive attitudes held by healthcar...

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Published in:International journal of social psychiatry 2022-05, Vol.68 (3), p.610-618
Main Authors: Deng, Yuer, Wang, An-Li, Frasso, Rosemary, Ran, Mao-Sheng, Zhang, Tian-Ming, Kong, Dexia, Wong, Yin-Ling Irene
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asian cultural groups
Attitude of Health Personnel
Attitudes
Bilingualism
China
Content analysis
Discrepancies
Focus groups
Health behavior
Health care delivery
Health care industry
Health Personnel - psychology
Humans
Illnesses
Medical personnel
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Mental health care
Mental Health Services
Patient Care
Patients
Public health
Recovery
Recovery (Medical)
Relatives
Rural communities
Rural Health Services
Self esteem
Stigma
Teams
Training
Training needs
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Summary:Background and aims: The increasing prevalence of mental illness and low treatment rate presents a pressing public health issue in China. Pervasive stigma is a significant barrier to mental health recovery and community inclusion. In particular, stigmatizing or supportive attitudes held by healthcare providers could either perpetuate or mitigate self-stigma of people with mental illness. Moreover, mental health resources are unevenly distributed in China, with most of them concentrated in urban centers and provincial capitals. This study explores healthcare providers’ attitudes toward mental illness and the challenges they faced at work in a rural Chinese county. Method: Four focus groups were conducted with 36 healthcare providers from a three-tier mental healthcare system in a rural county in southwestern China. Focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The team employed a conventional content analysis approach for data analysis. All transcripts were double-coded by three bilingual team members who are native Chinese speakers. Coding discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Results: Healthcare providers recruited from the county, township, and village levels varied in educational background, professional qualification, and experience of working with people with mental illness. Five thematic categories identified across four groups include (1) barriers to mental healthcare delivery, (2) keys to mental health recovery, (3) providers’ attitudes toward providing care, (4) providers’ perception toward patients and family members, and (5) providers’ perception of training needs. Conclusions: This is a unique study that included healthcare providers from a three-tier healthcare system. Findings signal the importance of understanding healthcare practitioners’ experiences and views to inform the design of training initiatives in rural or low-resource communities.
ISSN:0020-7640
1741-2854
DOI:10.1177/0020764021992807