Personal and Perceived Depression Stigma in Individuals Affected by Depression and Relatives: Results of a Survey among Attendees of a German Depression Congress

Background: Depression stigma is a clinically relevant factor negatively affecting the help-seeking process and depression care. Relatives of individuals suffering from depression play an important role in service utilization and in depression treatment, but little is known about their depression stigma compared to the stigma of individuals affected. Aims: We investigated whether individuals with depression, relatives and individuals being both - affected and relative - differ in depression stigma. Methods: Paper-pencil questionnaire data of 216 study participants from a German depression congress in 2017 were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis tests to investigate subgroup differences and Mann-Whitney-U tests for post-hoc comparisons. Ordinal logistic generalized regression models with the dependent variables being the stigma sum scores and the independent variables “group”, “gender” and “age” were computed. Results: Participants being a relative of an individual with depression, being affected by depression or being both - relative and affected - reported comparable personal and perceived depression stigma. There was a statistical trend for group differences in personal stigma in the total sample, due to significantly lower personal stigma in male participants being affected by depression compared to male participants having a family member affected. Conclusions: Relatives of individuals with depression appear to have similar stigmatizing attitudes as affected individuals themselves. Potential differences in personal stigma in male relatives compared to male patients require further research, since they have implications for anti-stigma activities as well as for depression care.