Patterns of stigma toward schizophrenia among the general population: A latent profile analysis

Objective: Our purpose was to assess stigma toward schizophrenia in a representative sample of the Brazilian general population. Methods: The sample consisted of 1015 individuals interviewed by telephone. A vignette describing someone with schizophrenia was read, and four stigma aspects regarding this hypothetical individual were assessed: stereotypes, restrictions, perceived prejudice and social distance. Latent profile analysis searched for stigma profiles among the sample. Multinomial logistic regression was used to find correlates of each class. Results: Four stigma profiles were found; ‘no stigma’ individuals ( n = 251) mostly displayed positive opinions. ‘Labelers’ ( n = 222) scored high on social distance; they more often had familial contact with mental illness and more often labeled the vignette’s disorder as schizophrenia. ‘Discriminators’, the group with the majority of individuals ( n = 302), showed high levels of stigmatizing beliefs in all dimensions; discriminators were significantly older. ‘Unobtrusive stigma’ individuals ( n = 240) seemed to demonstrate uncertainty or low commitment since they mostly answered items with the middle/impartial option. Conclusion: Some findings from the international literature were replicated; however, familial contact increased stigma, possibly denoting a locally modulated determinant. Hereby, our study also adds important cross-cultural data by showing that stigma toward schizophrenia is high in a Latin-American setting. We highlight the importance of analyzing the general population as a heterogeneous group, aiming to better elaborate anti-stigma campaigns.