TITLE:
Culture and Stigma of Mental Illness: Path Analysis Conducted with Amos in Transcultural Psychiatry in Australia
AUTHORS:
Tan Kan Ku, Michael Ha
KEYWORDS:
Culture, Stigma, Mental Illness
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.3 No.6,
June
12,
2015
ABSTRACT: Aim: The study was designed to
elucidate the relationships between cultural values, contact level,
differential nursing practices and stigma towards mental illness among General
and Psychiatric Nurses (N = 208) from Anglo and Chinese backgrounds in
Australia. The study results aimed at informing education disciplines, health
care providers and policy makers to examine strategies that seek to diminish
stigma of mental illness and to reflect on cultural sensitive issues associated
with mental illness. This paper reports analyses conducted with AMOS-5 within
the Chinese sample (n = 84). Method: A cross-sectional survey explored a number
of factors such as contact factor, cultural values (Individualism (IND), In group
Role Concern (IRC) and In group Interdependence (INT)), “General Stigma”
measured by the Social Distancing (STPP) and Negative Stereotyped (DISL) Scales
and how these factors might translate into nurses’ endorsement of differential
care practices between two vignettes (diabetes versus mental illness), which
was termed “Practice Stigma”. “Practice Stigma” was measured by Caring Approach
(CARE), Nursing Satisfaction (SATI), Authoritarian Stance (AUTH) and Negativity
(NEGA) Scales. Differential practices (DIF_CARE, DIF_SATI, DIF_AUTH and
DIF_NEGA) were obtained by subtracting the diabetes case from the mental
illness case. Findings: Chinese nurses endorsed more highly collectivist values
measured by the variables “In group Interdependence” and “In group Role Concern”
when compared with Anglo-Australian nurses, but there was no difference in
individualist values measured by “Individualism”. Chinese nurses endorsed more
highly general stigma towards mental illness than Anglo nurses when statistically
controlled for differences in background demographics and contact factors. Chinese
nurses endorsed more care/support and authoritarianism in their clinical
approaches than Anglo-Australian nurses, although there was no significant
interaction effect between ethnicity and patient type on care and
authoritarianism. Chinese nurses endorsed more highly differential negativity
than Anglo nurses for the mental illness case than the diabetes case, an effect
mediated by differences in general stigma between these two ethnic groups. Within
the Chinese sample, higher contact was related to lower differential negativity
for the mental illness case than the diabetes case. Several path analyses
suggested that Chinese values influenced differential negativity, mediated by
general stigma and prior diversified contact with people having a mental
illness.