ESTIGMA NA DOENÇA MENTAL: ESTUDO OBSERVACIONAL E PILOTO EM PORTUGAL Mental illness stigma: an observational and pilot study in Portugal

Pessoas com doenca mental (DM) sao frequentemente confrontadas com o estigma e preconceito e sujeitas a exclusao social. Atento a essa realidade, o Servico de Psiquiatria do Hospital Distrital de Santarem (SPHDS) desenvolveu um projeto piloto de inclusao social para pessoas com DM. Na sua fase inicial agora retratada, estudo epidemiologico de tipo observacional, o objetivo consistiu em aferir na comunidade o estigma na DM atraves da aplicacao de um questionario a 414 individuos. Foram avaliadas questoes sociodemograficas, psicossociais e de estereotipos associados a DM. Resultados: 18% dos inquiridos referiram sofrer ou ja ter sofrido de uma DM e 40% ja ter tido contacto com alguem da familia com DM. Perante o cenario de na comunidade haver um doente com DM severa, 59,2% diz ser a favor do tratamento medico compulsivo e 44,5% pelo seu internamento hospitalar. Conclusao: o estudo revela nao indiferenca a esta patologia e existencia de estigma. ABSTRACT People with mental illness (MI) are often confronted with stigma, prejudice and subject to social exclusion. Aware of this reality, the Service Psychiatric of the District Hospital of Santarem (SPDHS) developed a pilot project of social inclusion for people with MI. In its initial phase - an observational epidemiological study -, the goal was to assess the stigma in MI in the community through the application of a survey to 414 individuals. Socio-demographic, psycho-social and stereotype issues with MI were evaluated. Results: 18% of the respondents reported suffering or had already suffered from a MI and 40% had had contact someone with MI in their family. A given scenario of a community where there is a patient with severe MI, 59,2% said to be in favor of compulsive medical treatment and 44,5% by his hospital admission. Conclusion: the study reveals no indifference to this pathology and the existence of stigma.