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Condemn or Treat? The Influence of Adults’ Stigmatizing Attitudes on Mental Health Service Use for Children

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  • Stephanie Lange

    (Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
    Competence Area Mental Health Prevention in the Competence Network Preventive Medicine Baden-Württemberg, Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany)

  • Emily Gossmann

    (Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
    Competence Area Mental Health Prevention in the Competence Network Preventive Medicine Baden-Württemberg, Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany)

  • Sophie Hofmann

    (Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
    Competence Area Mental Health Prevention in the Competence Network Preventive Medicine Baden-Württemberg, Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
    Leadership Personality Center Ulm (LPCU), University Ulm, Kornhausgasse 9, 89073 Ulm, Germany)

  • Jörg M. Fegert

    (Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany
    Competence Area Mental Health Prevention in the Competence Network Preventive Medicine Baden-Württemberg, Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany)

Abstract

Stigmatizing attitudes towards mental disorders influence parents’ help-seeking behavior for their child’s mental health problems. As untreated mental disorders can cause morbidity and mortality, such parental attitudes are a serious barrier for public health promotion. Therefore, the help-seeking readiness in a distressed child’s broad social environment is essential. However, the role of stigma was unexplored in this context. This study empirically investigated the influence of adults’ stigmatizing attitudes towards mentally disabled people on their readiness to seek professional help for children’s mental health issues. Data from a representative German sample (N = 1906; 52% female) were collected between July and October 2021. A heteroscedastic ordered probit model was used for estimation. An empirical analysis provides evidence for a significant negative relationship between adults’ stigmatizing attitudes and their readiness to initiate mental health support for children (ß = −0.01; p < 0.001). Support acceptance seems to be independent of having children. To tackle stigmatizing attitudes and to promote public health, mental health literacy should be fostered through broad-based approaches. Awareness should be raised that children are also entitled to mental health care, just as they are in other health areas. Policy makers need to promote comprehensive information about mental illnesses and create incentives for acute and preventive service use.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephanie Lange & Emily Gossmann & Sophie Hofmann & Jörg M. Fegert, 2022. "Condemn or Treat? The Influence of Adults’ Stigmatizing Attitudes on Mental Health Service Use for Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-18, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15951-:d:988525
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Petra C Gronholm & Tamsin Ford & Ruth E Roberts & Graham Thornicroft & Kristin R Laurens & Sara Evans-Lacko, 2015. "Mental Health Service Use by Young People: The Role of Caregiver Characteristics," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    2. Ramazan Sari & Ugur Soytas, 2006. "Income and Education in Turkey: A Multivariate Analysis," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(2), pages 181-196.
    3. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    4. Andrew Weiss, 1997. "Specification tests in ordered logit and probit models," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 361-391.
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