Public Stigma in China Associated With Schizophrenia, Depression, Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome, and Psychosis-Like Experiences

Objective:Attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS) has recently been included in the appendix of DSM-5 as a condition for further study. This study compared public stigma associated with four mental health conditions among study participants in Hong Kong.Methods:The cross-sectional study involved 204 participants (154 members of the general public general public and 50 health care professionals) recruited through a public awareness campaign and the e-mail network of the University of Hong Kong. Participants read four vignettes describing persons with schizophrenia, depression, APS, or psychosis-like experiences. For each vignette, they used a scale to rate their level of stigma in seven domains: social distance, traditional prejudice, exclusionary sentiments, negative affect, perceptions of dangerousness, treatment carryover, and disclosure carryover. Analyses compared ratings within and across vignettes.Results:Schizophrenia received the highest public stigma ratings, followed by APS, depression, and psychosi...