Parry Sarah J, Mendon Gurucharan Bhaskar, Koschorke Mirja, Manjappa Adarsha Alur, Thirumeni Arya, Thornicroft Graham, Cherian Anish V, Gronholm Petra C
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India.
PLoS One. 2025 Aug 22;20(8):e0330949. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330949. eCollection 2025.
Mental health related stigma and discrimination are significant issues requiring urgent global action. There is a particular lack of research on stigma in low-and middle-income countries. This study explores the experiences of service users and their carers who access primary care for treatment of mental health conditions in rural Karnataka, India. Purposive sampling was used to conduct qualitative interviews of service users and their carers. This study highlights several barriers to access mental healthcare that individuals face on a system level. The results also bring to light pervasive experiences of stigmatising attitudes and discriminatory behaviour that participants with mental health conditions face from within their communities. Cohesion within both the family and the community was highlighted as a priority for participants, using a "what matters most" approach. This study brings insights to contribute to the development of locally relevant anti-stigma interventions, promoting access to care, and the human rights and quality of life for individuals with mental health conditions in a rural community in Karnataka, India.
与心理健康相关的耻辱感和歧视是重大问题，需要全球紧急行动。低收入和中等收入国家尤其缺乏对耻辱感的研究。本研究探讨了印度卡纳塔克邦农村地区因心理健康问题而接受初级治疗的服务使用者及其护理人员的经历。采用目的抽样法对服务使用者及其护理人员进行定性访谈。本研究强调了个人在系统层面面临的一些获得心理医疗保健的障碍。研究结果还揭示了有心理健康问题的参与者在其社区中普遍面临的耻辱态度和歧视行为。通过“最重要的是什么”方法，家庭和社区内部的凝聚力被强调为参与者的一个优先事项。本研究为制定与当地相关的反耻辱干预措施、促进获得护理以及印度卡纳塔克邦农村社区心理健康状况个体的人权和生活质量提供了见解。
