The stigma of mental health professionals towards users with a mental disorder.

Individuals with mental disorders are labeled in such a way that it leads to stigmatization. This generates a disadvantage as regards to the rest of the members of the society, limiting their participation as active members within it and at the same time being deleterious to their way of life. Mental health professionals are not safe from internalizing these stereotypes and prejudices assumed from their environment, thereby showing stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors towards the users in the different mental health resources.

El estigma de los profesionales de salud mental hacia los usuarios con trastorno mental / The stigma of mental health professionals towards users with a mental disorder

Introducción: Las personas con trastornos mentales padecen el etiquetado que provoca el estigma y este a su vez les genera una desventaja con el resto de los componentes de una sociedad, limitando su participación como ciudadanos activos en la misma y mermando su calidad de vida. Los profesionales no están a salvo de interiorizar estos estereotipos y prejuicios asumidos por su entorno reflejándose en sus actitudes y comportamientos hacia los usuarios en los diferentes servicios de salud mental.Metodología: El diseño empleado en este estudio para conocer el estigma de los profesionales de salud mental es un estudio cuantitativo, analizando el nivel de estigma que presentan los profesionales mediante el cuestionario de Atribución-27 (AQ27). La muestra resultó de 59 profesionales.Resultados: Los resultados obtenidos ponen de manifiesto la existencia de actitudes y comportamientos estigmatizadores por parte de los profesionales analizados. Dentro de los datos sociodemográficos de la muestra cabe destacar que el mayor nivel de formación de los profesionales disminuye las actitudes y comportamientos relacionados con el estigma.Conclusiones: Se ha podido constatar la existencia de diferentes factores del estigma como son la ayuda, la coacción, la piedad y la evitación que afectan a los profesionales de la salud mental. (AU)

Introduction: Individuals with mental disorders are labeled in such a way that it leads to stigmatization. This generates a disadvantage as regards to the rest of the members of the society, limiting their participation as active members within it and at the same time being deleterious to their way of life. Mental health professionals are not safe from internalizing these stereotypes and prejudices assumed from their environment, thereby showing stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors towards the users in the different mental health resources.Methodology: The design used in this study to determine the stigma of mental health professionals is a quantitative study, which was used to analyze the level of stigma presented by professionals using the Attribution Questionnaire-27 (AQ27). The sample consisted of 59 professionals.Results: The results obtained showed the existence of stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors by the professionals analyzed. Within the sociodemographic data of the sample, it should be noted that the higher level of education of the professionals decreased the attitudes and behaviors associated to stigma. Conclusions: It was possible to confirm the existence of differentstigma factors such as helping, coercion, pity and avoidancethat affect mental health professionals. (AU)

Occupational Therapy in Severe Mental Disorder-A Self-Controlled Quasi-Experimental Study.

Severe mental disorder (SMD) produces a significant functional limitation that affects the performance of daily activities. The occupational therapist intervenes on this limitation by seeking greater autonomy of these patients through specific activities. This study aims to identify the main limitations of people with SMD and to examine whether an occupational intervention has any effect in helping to overcome or ameliorate these limitations. A quasi-experimental study including 103 participants was carried out. An evaluation using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) questionnaire was performed before and after the intervention. Within the activity program, those with a higher attendance rating during cognitive stimulation, cooking workshop, therapeutic walks, relaxation, and creative activities were mainly men. Both patients and professionals indicated that Understanding and Communicating, Participation in Society, and Activities of Daily Living were the main perceived limitations. Upon discharge, patients and professionals reported positive outcomes. The intervention programs carried out by occupational therapy, along with the other aspects of the treatment that SMD patients received, played an important part in improving the performance and occupational interests of these patients.