Stigma of depression and related factors in university students

Abstract

Background: Stigma is a mark of disgrace in the society's attitude that discredits a person or a group because of an attribute such as a deformity, color, or mental illness. Stigma can adversely affect all aspects of life. Depression is one of the most common mental health problems. The goal of the current study was to investigate some factors associated with stigma of depression among university students in Isfahan City, Iran, in order to facilitate possible interventions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the stigma of depression in students of University of Isfahan, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, and Art University of Isfahan, and was conducted among 553 participants. We used a questionnaire designed by Griffiths et al. and translated it to Persian to evaluate the personal and perceived stigma. Findings: Personal stigma was statistically lower in participants with positive history of depression (P = 0.007). It was also lower in married participants (P = 0.030). Perceived stigma was significantly higher in students of University of Isfahan comparing to other universities (P = 0.009). Conclusion: Positive history of depression, being a married person, and being a student of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences or Art University of Isfahan are protective factors against the stigma of depression in university students in Isfahan City. © Journal of Isfahan Medical School. All rights reserved.