An observational study in Mental Illness and Stigmatization, sponsored by Semmelweis University. Completed at 31 sites in 31 countries. Open to participants aged 24 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-10-27.
Sponsored by Semmelweis University · Observational
Background: Many people think that people with mental disorders might be dangerous or unpredictable. These patients face various sources of disadvantages and experience discrimination on job interviews, in education, and housing. Mental health-related stigma (MHS) occurs not only within the public community, it is a growing issue among professionals as well.
Aim: The investigators designed a prospective, observational, multi-centre, international study of 35 European countries to investigate the MHS among medical specialists and trainees in the field of general adult and child and adolescent psychiatry.
Methods: An internet-based, anonymous survey will measure the stigmatizing attitude by using the local version of the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers.
Presentation of the Results: The results of the research will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, the research team will present the results at national and international conferences.
There is a rising interest in the examination of the MHS that has been mostly studied among community people. Numerous international studies have shown that people with mental illness are considered to be unpredictable and dangerous. These people often experience disadvantages in various situations, like job interviews, education, and housing.
The MHS has been much less examined among medical professionals and psychiatrists; however, studies have shown that it is prevalent among them as well.
A recent multi-centre study collected the positive and negative experiences of 777 people with schizophrenia regarding access to healthcare services in 27 countries. More than 17% of the patients experienced some kind of discrimination due to their mental illness when they sought medical care for physical problems. More than 38% felt that the medical staff was disrespectful during psychiatric services. Higher discrimination was found within the former Eastern Bloc countries.
Generally, psychiatrists tend to be more empathetic towards people with mental illnesses; however, the MHS could be observed among them as well. A few studies have also shown that their attitude is more negative than that of community people.
Based on the ambiguous results and the lack of studies focusing on the stigmatizing attitude of psychiatrists, the research team aimed to examine this important issue among medical professionals in the mental health field.
Aim of the study:
Our aim is to investigate the stigmatizing attitudes and behaviours of adult psychiatric and child and adolescent psychiatric professionals and trainees towards people with mental illness in European countries.
The results of our study will contribute to the expansion of the existing knowledge both on national and international levels. The outcome could be used for the development of anti-stigma programs and the improvement of therapeutic options in the future.
Structure of the research:
Our study is cross-sectional and multi-centred across 35 European countries. The research team would like to measure the extent of the stigmatizing attitude and its relationship with psychosocial factors.
Sociodemographic measures:
An online questionnaire will be provided for the participants of our study. Participation in the study is voluntary, and it can be terminated at any time without having to give any reasons.
1,740 studies on the registry are indexed under Mental Disorders; 348 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 4,245 is above the median of 220 across 389 observational studies indexed under Mental Disorders.
Browse Mental Disorders studies →Semmelweis University is the lead sponsor of 140 studies on the registry; 56 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Practising specialists and trainees in adult psychiatry or child and adolescent psychiatry who work in the participating European countries
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The responder must be a practising specialist or trainee in psychiatry or child and adolescent psychiatry in the participating European countries on the basis of his / her own declaration. Responders could provide their consent by choosing "I agree" on the website, after reading the information leaflet and the informed consent form.
Other: anonymous online survey
An online questionnaire will be provided for the participants of our study. Participation in the study is voluntary and it can be terminated at any time without having to give any reasons.
stigmatising attitude
The main questionnaire is the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC) which is a self-report questionnaire that contains 15 statements describing feelings and opinions about people with mental health problems. . In the survey, the subjects indicate on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = "strongly disagree" to 5 = "strongly agree") the extent they identify themselves with the given statement. The overall stigmatising attitude of the participants is described with the total score of the scale (minimum of 15, and a maximum of 75 points). Besides the total score, three dimensions can be calculated by evaluating the three subscales of the questionnaire (Attitude, Disclosure and Help-seeking, and Social Distance). Higher scores on a subscale and higher total scores reflect a more stigmatising attitude.
Time frame: Baseline
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Ran from Jul 2020 to primary completion in Jul 2021, 12 months.
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This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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