Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stigma toward mental illness remains a major barrier to utilization and provision of mental healthcare services. Stigma and negative attitudes toward mental illness fuel each other to create a vicious cycle hampering effective care. After overcoming numerous barriers, persons with mental illness (PMIs) should not be victims to professional stigma and negative attitudes by healthcare workers (HCWs). AIM: To assess healthcare workers' stigma and attitude toward persons with mental illness and determine their association with sociodemographic and work-related factors. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, sociodemographic and professional data of 275 tertiary care HCWs was collected. Their stigma and attitude towards mental illness was assessed using Attribution Questionnaire-27 (AQ-27) and Mental Illness: Clinician's Attitude Scale (MICA), respectively. Results were analyzed using SPSS 24. RESULTS: The mean AQ-27 and MICA scores were 114.02 (±25.67 SD) and 49.32 (±9.70 SD), respectively, indicating high levels of stigma and negative attitudes. Nurses and Residents had the highest levels, followed by Interns and Clinical faculty, and Pre and Para Clinical faculty the lowest. Commonly endorsed factors included Avoidance, Coercion and Pity, with Anger the least endorsed. Younger HCWs and females displayed higher negative attitudes, with males endorsing more Pity and Coercion. Psychiatric HCWs exhibited more positive attitudes, and those with a family history of mental illness showed lower negative attitudes compared to those without such history. CONCLUSION: The study highlights significant stigma and negative attitudes toward PMIs among HCWs. Addressing these attitudes is crucial for improving mental healthcare service delivery and utilization.