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Gender effect on public stigma changes towards psychosis in the Hong Kong Chinese population: a comparison between population surveys of 2009 and 2014

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Abstract

Purpose

Public stigma is an important barrier to the recovery of patients with psychosis. The current study aimed to investigate the change in stigma towards psychosis and knowledge about psychosis between 2009 and 2014 among the Chinese population in Hong Kong, with a specific focus on gender role.

Methods

Random telephone survey of general population in Hong Kong was conducted in 2009 and 2014. Stigma was measured with the revised Link’s Perceived Discrimination-Devaluation Scale (LPDDS). Logistic regression was used to explore the effect of time on the change of knowledge of psychosis, and linear regression was used to explore the effect of time on the change of stigma. Change of knowledge and stigma based on gender was specifically explored.

Results

In total, 1016 and 1018 subjects completed the survey in 2009 and 2014, respectively. Significantly, more people agreed with medication treatment for psychosis and fewer people had misunderstanding about psychosis. However, there was no significant change in stigma levels. Males were found to have a significant deterioration of stigma (B = 0.099, SE = 0.033, β = 0.100, p = 0.003) but not females. Significantly, more males endorsed medication treatment for psychosis (χ 2 = 5.850, df = 1, p = 0.016) but no change for females (χ 2 = 1.401, df = 1, p = 0.238).

Conclusions

Results of this study suggested that there was an improvement in the biological understanding of psychosis but no change of public stigma within the Hong Kong Chinese population. The specific role of gender in relation to stigma and level of knowledge about psychosis indicates that this should be a consideration in designing future anti-stigma campaigns.

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Acknowledgements

The current study was funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust as part of the Jockey Club Early Psychosis Project in Hong Kong. We thank the Public Opinion Programme of the University of Hong Kong for supporting the field work of the telephone survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Room 219, New Clinical Building, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China

    S. K. W. Chan, K. W. Lee, C. L. M. Hui, W. C. Chang, E. H. M. Lee & E. Y. H. Chen

  2. The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Room 219, New Clinical Building, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China

    S. K. W. Chan, W. C. Chang & E. Y. H. Chen

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  1. S. K. W. Chan
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Correspondence to S. K. W. Chan.

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Chan, S.K.W., Lee, K.W., Hui, C.L.M. et al. Gender effect on public stigma changes towards psychosis in the Hong Kong Chinese population: a comparison between population surveys of 2009 and 2014. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 52, 259–267 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1317-1

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