The stigma of a psychiatric diagnosis: Prevalence, implications and nursing interventions in clinical care settings

摘要

Stigma has long been associated with mental illness and psychiatric disorders. A consequence of stigma for persons with mental illness or psychiatric disorders includes discriminatory attitudes toward them that impact their social relationships and their ability to obtain employment or even housing. Underutilization of mental health services and discontinuation of mental health treatment by persons with mental illnesses and psychiatric disorders are largely attributed to stigma, because individuals seek to avoid being labeled as a "mental patient." Psychiatric disorders are also underdiagnosed and undertreated in medical care settings owing to the stigma that causes patients to be reluctant to discuss their psychiatric history and may attribute their symptoms to medical conditions that are more socially acceptable.