Stigma toward mental illness in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
Stigma toward individuals with mental disorders has been studied extensively. In the case of Latin America and the Caribbean, the past decade has been marked by a significant increase in information on stigma toward mental illness, but these findings have yet to be applied to mental health services in Latin America. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies relating to stigma toward mental illness in Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors specifically considered differences in this region as compared with manifestations reported in Western European countries.


METHODS
A systematic search of scientific papers was conducted in the PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCO, SciELO, LILACS, Imbiomed, and Bireme databases. The search included articles published from 2002 to 2014.


RESULTS
Twenty-six studies from seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were evaluated and arranged into the following categories: public stigma, consumer stigma, family stigma, and multiple stigmas.


CONCLUSIONS
We identified some results similar to those reported in high-income settings. However, some noteworthy findings concerning public and family stigma differed from those reported in Western European countries. Interventions designed to reduce mental illness-related stigma in this region may benefit from considering cultural dynamics exhibited by the Latino population.
Escuela de Salud Pública, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Franco
F
Mascayano
Escuela de Salud Pública, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Thamara
T
Tapia
Escuela de Salud Pública, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Sara
S
Schilling
Escuela de Salud Pública, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Rubén
R
Alvarado
Escuela de Salud Pública, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Eric
E
Tapia
Escuela de Psicología, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile.
Walter
W
Lips
Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA.
Lawrence H
LH
Yang
D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011287:Prejudice / Q000523:psychology; D057545:Social Stigma