Depression prevention and mental health promotion interventions: is stigma taken into account? An overview of the Italian initiatives

Depressive disorders represent a major public health concern in European countries and Italian epidemiological studies confirm that despite being highly prevalent in the general population and in clinical settings, their recognition and treatment are often inadequate (Balestrieri et al. 2004). Research suggested that the public stigma of mental disorders (defined as the general public's negative attitudes towards individuals with mental disorders) increases self-stigma (e.g. internalized attitudes held by people suffering from a mental disorder) with the consequences that individuals avoid seeking treatment and increase their social isolation (Kanter et al. 2008). In a survey on the Australian general population (Griffiths et al. 2008), personal stigma was associated with greater current psychological distress and lower depression literacy.