title: Patterns of stigma toward schizophrenia among the general population: a latent profile analysis.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM 27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil alexandre.loch@usp.br.
authors.forename: Alexandre A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Loch
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM 27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Yuan-Pang
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM 27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francisco B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Guarniero
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM 27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Social Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hengartner
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Social Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Collegium Helveticum, a Joint Research Institute between the University of Zurich & ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wulf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rössler
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM 27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wagner F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Gattaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012559:Schizophrenia; D013240:Stereotyping; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brazil; Social distance; discrimination; prejudice; stereotype