UK study examines stigma against LGBTQ and people with mental health problems

A study of stigma against LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) people in British society has found that there is less stigma against these groups than you might expect based on social and media perceptions. The same study looked at stigma against people with mental health problems and found that they still experience higher levels of stigma. This work will be presented at the ECNP Conference in Milan.

Researcher Professor Karen Ersche (University of Cambridge) said: “Our aim was to look at the level of stigma against LGBTQ people in British society, and also to look at stigma against people with mental health problems. This is the first such study to compare what society thinks with what individuals think about minority groups, and the results surprised us.”

The researchers conducted two separate studies, measuring stigma using the Perceived Discrimination and Disvaluation Scale. First, they surveyed 264 people about how mental health problems are perceived by society.

The researchers also split the answers according to whether or not the respondents had had close contact with people with mental health problems. They then asked how they personally felt about people with mental health problems.

For the second part of the study, the researchers asked 124 people similar questions about how they thought society would view LGBTQ people and how they themselves felt about them.

Researcher Charlie Evans (University of Cambridge), who conducted the study, said: “It’s hard for people to admit that they’re prejudiced against a particular group, so we first asked participants about the extent to which they felt stigmatised in society. This gave them a point of reference. In every case, we found that respondents felt that society was less open to LGBTQ orientation or mental health problems than they were.

“We found that societal stigma against LGBTQ people was lower than we expected. Personal and societal stigma against LGBTQ people is lower than the level observed against people with mental health problems.

“I think this raises two questions. Why is the stigma of societal mental health more likely to be experienced than the stigma of LGBTQ? And why do people with mental health issues stigmatize themselves more than LGBTQ people? Perhaps it has something to do with the idea that mental health issues are experienced as a personal deficit rather than an identity; for example, there are no ‘mental health pride’ celebrations.

“Our work may suggest that different approaches are needed to reduce stigma. It seems that awareness campaigns have helped to reduce LGBTQ stigma, as earlier contact with LGBTQ people often reduces stigma, but this effect is less pronounced for stigma around mental health. We need to be open to what works to overcome stigma around mental health. It may also be useful to conduct similar studies across Europe, to understand what level of stigma exists in different countries.”

Professor Pedro Morgado (Faculty of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal) said: “The most relevant finding of the study is the existence of significant stigma, both against LGBTQ people and against people with mental illness. These are early results and should be interpreted with caution, given the risk of minimizing the serious consequences (including on mental health) of stigma and discrimination against LGBTQ people. LGBTQ issues obviously refer to a stable and defining characteristic of individuals, while mental illness refers to a pathology.

“While the findings cannot be generalised beyond the UK, they show that the work being done to combat LGBTQ discrimination is yielding positive results and should be continued and deepened. I would therefore welcome studies on stigma from other countries. In the area of ​​mental illness, interventions to reduce stigma should use some of the models used in LGBTQ issues, which would help to increase the visibility of people with mental illnesses, increase knowledge about the illnesses and improve understanding of their nature and impact.”

Dr. Morgado was not involved in this work, this is an independent commentary.