The DOI matches its Crossref record; 74 of the 75 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 67 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care
Open accessAbstract
This editorial provides an overview of how far access to mental health care is limited by perceptions of stigma and anticipated discrimination. Globally over 70% of young people and adults with mental illness receive no treatment from healthcare staff. The rates of non-treatment are far higher in low income countries. Evidence from some descriptive studies and epidemiological surveys suggest that potent factors increasing the likelihood of treatment avoidance, or long delays before presenting for care include: (i) lack of knowledge about the features and treatability of mental illnesses; (ii) ignorance about how to access assessment and treatment; (iii) prejudice against people who have mental illness, and (iv) expectations of discrimination against people who have a diagnosis of mental illness. The associations between low rates of help seeking, and stigma and discrimination are as yet poorly understood and require more careful characterisation and analysis, providing the platform for more effective action to ensure that a greater proportion of people with mental illness are effectively treated in future.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This editorial argues that stigma and discrimination are major barriers to mental health care, with most people with mental illness untreated worldwide. It synthesizes evidence on treatment gaps, help-seeking delays, and disadvantaged groups, concluding that the links between low help seeking and stigma/discrimination remain poorly understood.
Key findings
- Globally over 70% of young people and adults with mental illness receive no treatment from healthcare staff; in the USA 31% are affected annually but 67% are untreated, in Europe 27% are affected and 74% receive no treatment, and in Nigeria only 1.6% received mental health care over 12 months. A WHO overview of 37 studies found untreated proportions of 32.2% for schizophrenia, 56.3% for depression, 56.0% for dysthymia, 50.2% for bipolar disorder, 55.9% for panic disorder, 57.5% for generalised anxiety disorder, 57.3% for obsessive compulsive disorder, and 78.1% for alcohol abuse and dependence.
- Help seeking is often delayed: after clear-cut signs of a psychotic disorder, it takes on average over a year to first receive assessment and treatment; in a US survey of almost 10,000 adults, average delays were 8 years for mood disorders and at least 9 years for anxiety disorders. Only 41% of people with mental illness in the previous year had received any treatment, and a quarter first went to a member of the clergy (31% in the 1950s and 24% in the 1990s), more than went first to a psychiatrist (17%) or general medical practitioner (17%).
- Stigma and anticipated discrimination reduce help seeking: in a survey of over 3000 US military staff after combat duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, 60–77% of unwell soldiers did not seek mental health care, largely related to concerns about stigmatisation. In rural Virginia, over a third of residents had a diagnosed mental disorder but only 6% sought help; African Americans receive mental health care about half as often as white people.
- Stigma is described as an amalgamation of ignorance/misinformation, prejudice, and discrimination, with rejection and avoidance of people with mental illness appearing universal; no known country, society, or culture considers people with a mental illness diagnosis to have the same value and acceptability as those without.
Methods
- Design: editorial overview, not primary research; it synthesizes descriptive studies, epidemiological surveys, and prior reviews to examine how stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care.
- Data/sample: no primary dataset; evidence includes a WHO overview of 37 studies, a US national survey of almost 10,000 adults, a survey of over 3000 military staff, and other cited studies from multiple countries.
- Main analysis: narrative synthesis of treatment rates, help-seeking delays, pathways to care, and stigma/discrimination factors, with illustrative quotations and examples.
Limitations
- The paper states that the associations between low rates of help seeking and stigma/discrimination are “as yet poorly understood and require more careful characterisation and analysis”; it also states that the quality of information is relatively poor, with very few comparative studies between countries or over time, and that rural evidence is patchy.
- Evident from the text: as an editorial, it does not describe a systematic search strategy, inclusion criteria, or quantitative synthesis, so its conclusions rely on selected cited studies and examples rather than a formal systematic review.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
46 Not checked yet · 4 No basis given · 2 Own interpretation
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Globally over 70% of young people and adults with mental illness receive no treatment from healthcare staff.”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kohn et al, 2004a
- Not checked yetcites Thornicroft, 2007
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“This under-treatment occurs even in countries with the best resources”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kohn et al, 2004a
- Not checked yetcites Thornicroft, 2007
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“the reluctance of many people to seek help for mental illness related problems because of their anticipation of stigma should they be diagnosed”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kohn et al, 2004a
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“The combination of these three elements has a powerful force for social exclusion”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > STIGMA: A COMBINATION OF IGNORANCE, PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Thornicroft, 2006b
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“The rates of non-treatment are far higher in low income countries.”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wang et al, 2007
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“studies from several countries have consistently found that even after a family member has developed clear-cut signs of a psychotic disorder, on average it is over a year until the unwell person first receives assessment and treatment”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Compton et al., 2004
- Not checked yetcites Johannessen et al., 2001
- Not checked yetcites Black et al., 2001
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“lack of knowledge about the features and treatability of mental illnesses”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > Abstract
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“The study concluded that 'most people with mental disorders in the United States remain either untreated or poorly treated.'”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wang et al, 2005b
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“the reluctance of many people who do have a diagnosis of mental illness to advocate for better mental health care for fear of shame and rejection if they disclose their condition”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kohn et al, 2004a
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“at least two thirds receive no treatment”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kohn et al, 2004a
- Not checked yetcites Thornicroft, 2007
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Where comparisons with other conditions have been made, then people with a diagnosis of mental illnesses are more, or far more, stigmatised”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > STIGMA: A COMBINATION OF IGNORANCE, PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Lai et al, 2001;2005
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“a recent study of terms used by school children to refer to mental illness revealed 250 different words and phrases, none of which are positive”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > STIGMA: A COMBINATION OF IGNORANCE, PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Rose et al, 2007
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Only about a third (41%) of people who had experienced mental illness in the previous year had received any treatment”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wang et al, 2005b
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“ignorance about how to access assessment and treatment”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > Abstract
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“expectations of discrimination against people who have a diagnosis of mental illness”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > Abstract
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Third, there do seem to be clear links between popular understandings of the meaning of a diagnosis of mental illness, if people in mental distress want to seek help, and whether they feel able to disclose their problems”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > STIGMA: A COMBINATION OF IGNORANCE, PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Littlewood, 1998
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Interestingly the idea that conditions which are less stigmatised (for example depression compared with schizophrenia) are those which are seen to be more treatable is not supported by the findings of these surveys”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Mann & Himelein, 2004
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“A WHO overview of 37 studies across the world, for example, found that the proportion of people untreated for particular conditions is: schizophrenia 32.2%; depres-sion 56.3%; dysthymia 56.0%; bipolar disorder 50.2%; panic disorder, 55.9%; generalised anxiety disorder 57.5%; and obsessive compulsive disorder 57.3%; alcohol abuse and dependence 78.1%”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kohn et al, 2004b
- Not checked yetcites World Health Organisation, 2005
- Not checked yetcites Wittchen & Jacobi, 2005
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“prejudice against people who have mental illness”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > Abstract
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Particular social groups may have even lower rates of treatment for mental disorders, and this applies in particular to African Americans in the USA or to Black Caribbean groups in the UK”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Hines-Martin et al, 2003b
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“If a person with a mental illness wants to keep personal information confidential, this seems to be more difficult in rural communities.”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“a study of Muslim Arab female university students in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, for example, found that for most of these women their first resort was to turn to God through prayer during times of psychological distress, rather than to seek help from health or social care agencies”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Al-Krenawi et al, 2004
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“there are relatively high rates of suicide among male farmers in many countries”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Gregoire, 2002
- Not checked yetcites Hawton et al, 1999
- Not checked yetcites Thomas et al, 2003
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“At the same time strong family encouragement to go for mental health assessment and treatment does often work”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Link et al, 1989
plainconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“As the disabilities associated with mental illness exceed those of most other disorder groups”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites World Health Organisation, 2001
- Not checked yetcites Saxena et al, 2007
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- It may state two separate claims as one. 26
- Probably not a substantial claim. 2
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Even under better resourced countries, it is known that most people with a mental illness in the United States do not seek assistance.An early national survey found that fewer than one third of all mentally ill people received assessment and treatment, although the rate rose to 60% for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Narrow et al, 1993
- Not checked yetcites Regier et al, 1993
- Not checked yetcites Kessler et al, 2005b
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Revealingly the general public thought that mental health staff is useful for treating people with schizophrenia, but not for depression.The reason for this is that most people felt that schizophrenia was caused by biological or uncontrollable influences, while they understood depression to be a consequence of 'social disintegration'”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Angermeyer et al, 1999
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“mental health specialists providing care that was at least reasonable in about half (48%) of the cases they say, while in primary care only 13% of people treated received care that was adequate”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wang et al, 2005b
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The proportions of people with mental illness who are treated in low and medium resource countries (LAMIC) are far less, for example a recent worldwide survey found that the proportion of respondents receiving mental health care over 12 months was as low as 1.6% in Nigeria, and that in most of the 17 countries studied only a minority of people with severe disorder received treatment”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wang et al, 2007
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“An international study of depression found that 0% of people with depression in St. Petersburg received evidence-based treatment in primary care, and only 3% were referred on to specialist mental health care at all (Simon et al, 2004a).But the major barrier to care in that Russian site was money: an inability to afford treatment costs was the main barrier to care for 75% of the depressed Russian”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Simon et al, 2004a
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Unmet needs were greater for the poor: older people, minority ethnic groups, those with low incomes or without insurance, and residents of rural areas”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wang et al, 2005b
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“So no single factor is enough to explain complex patterns of help seeking.Nevertheless the weight of evidence does suggest that even when there are no major financial barriers to care, that many people do not seek help or minimize their contact with services in an attempt to avoid being labeled as mentally ill”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Corrigan, 2004a
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“In the USA, for example, 31% of the population are affected by mental illness every year, but 67% of these individuals are not treated”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kessler et al, 2005a
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“People who wait longer than average before receiving care are more likely to be young, old, male, poorly educated, or a member of a racial/ethnic minority”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wang et al, 2005a
- Not checked yetcites Morgan & Fearon, 2007
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Indeed one particular study of depressed people in St Petersburg only 3% were treated (Simon et al, 2004b), both because of the low level of coverage of services, and because of demand limiting factors such as the need for out-of-pocket payments to afford treatment.”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Simon et al, 2004b
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“in Europe mental illness affects 27% of people every year, 74% of whom receive no treatment”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wittchen & Jacobi, 2005
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The results showed that the majority of people with mental disorders eventually contact treatment services, but they often wait a long time before doing so: with average delays before seeking help of 8 years for mood disorders, and at least 9 years for anxiety disorders.”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wang et al, 2005a
plainn = 10,000- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Although each year approaching 30% of the population worldwide has some form of mental illness”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > MOST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS ARE NOT TREATED
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kohn et al, 2004a
- Not checked yetcites Thornicroft, 2007
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Several American studies suggest that African Americans receive mental health care about half as often as white people (Diala et al, 2000;Snowden, 2001;Snowden, 2003), even though they have higher rates of some mental disorders”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Diala et al, 2000
- Not checked yetcites Snowden, 2001
- Not checked yetcites Snowden, 2003
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Similar findings also emerged from a study in Iowa where people living in the most rural environments were more likely to hold stigmatising attitudes toward mental health care than people in towns, and such views strongly predicted willingness to seek care”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Hoyt et al, 1997
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“They concluded that the 'reasons for the continuing gap include patient, provider, and health care system factors.Patient-based reasons include: failure to recognize the symptoms, underestimating the severity, limited access, reluctance to see a mental health care specialist due to stigma, noncompliance with treatment, and lack of health insurance.”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Hirschfeld et al, 1997
- Not checked yetcites Castiello & Magliano, 2007
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In summary, this paper shows that stigmatisation against people with mental illness is common wherever it has been studied, and that these processes present formidable barriers both to social inclusion and to proper access to mental health care.”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Black people with a mental illness are more likely to seek help if their families are supportive, and if a family member has had a positive personal experience of mental health care.In one study they did not view mental health on a continuum of wellbeing, but tended to think of themselves as either mentally healthy or mentally ill.Many interviewees said they did not think they were 'crazy',”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Hines-Martin et al, 2003a
- Not checked yetcites Davis & Ford, 2004
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The rural residents with a history of depression labeled people who sought professional help more negatively than their urban counterparts.By the same token, those who labeled depression more negatively were less likely to have sought professional help”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Rost et al, 1993
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“A study of parents in rural areas of North Carolina concluded that although as many as 20% of children had some type of treatable mental illness, only about one-third of them received help from the mental health system (Costello et ai, 2001;Angold et ai, 2002).The researchers found that one of the main barriers to care was stigma toward the use of the mental health care.”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Costello et al, 2001
- Not checked yetcites Angold et al, 2002
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“So it seems to be true that stigma about mental illness is no less in many rural areas, and may be even stronger than in towns and cities.In part this may be based upon fears that a rural community will learn details about a period of mental illness, while it is easier in cities to remain anonymous.”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Most of the unwell soldiers (60-77%) did not seek mental health care, largely related to concerns about possible stigmatisation”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Hoge et al., 2004
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“These factors have been described as: socio-cultural (health beliefs and mistrust of services), systemic (lack of culturally competent practices in mental health services) (Corrigan et al, 2004), economic (lack of health insurance), or individual barriers (denial of mental health problems)”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Corrigan et al, 2004
- Not checked yetcites Swanson & Ward, 1995
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“a survey of rural residents in Virginia found that over a third of the population had a diagnosed mental disorder, but only 6% subsequently sought help, and those who did not go for treatment said that they 'felt there was no need'”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Fox et al, 1999
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“The interplay of these factors produces the contradictory situation in which black groups may have higher rates of many mental illnesses, lower rates of general referral and treatment, but higher rates of compulsory treatment and forensic service contact”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Keating & Robertson, 2004
- Not checked yetcites National Institute for Mental Health in England, 2003
hedgeddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“The following common beliefs are likely to reduce their likelihood of seeking help: that psychiatric treatments are ineffective (Corrigan, 2004b); that others would react with avoidance; or that a person should solve their own problems”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Corrigan, 2004b
- Not checked yetcites Kessler et al, 2001
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Evidence from Tennessee also showed that among people who were mentally unwell, those more likely to seek help were women, younger people and those who had been treated for a mental illness previously”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Smith et al, 2004
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper relies on this without support.
There is no known country, society or culture in which people with mental illness with a diagnosis are considered to have the same value and to be as acceptable as people who do not have mental illness.
“Indeed there is no known country, society or culture in which people with mental illness with a diagnosis are considered to have the same value and to be as acceptable as people who do not have mental illness.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The core experiences of shame and blame are common everywhere stigma has been studied, but to differing extents.
“The core experiences of shame (to oneself and one's family) and blame (from others) are common everywhere stigma has been studied, but to differing extents.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Rejection and avoidance of people with a diagnosis of mental illness appear to be a universal phenomenon.
“Finally, rejection and avoidance of people with a diagnosis of mental illness appear to be universal phenomenon”
The paper relies on this without support.
A strong reluctance to be seen as mentally ill appears to be a universal phenomenon.
“A strong reluctance to be seen as mentally ill appears to be a universal phenomenon.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Most people of all cultures have relatively little accurate and useful knowledge about mental illness.
“There is an important general point here: that most people of all cultures have relatively little accurate and useful knowledge about mental illness.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Thus, discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes present in society not only severely impact the recovery process, quality of life, and well-being of people with mental illnesses and their families, but also represent the main gap in accessing specialized mental health services by the general population [4,5].”
From Innovative Technology–Based Interventions to Reduce Stigma Toward People With Mental Illness: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as [4]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
“Only about a third”
§ Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care > LIMITED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE
“(41%)”
Citations
Cites
Combat Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to Care
Hoge, C. W., Castro, C. A., Messer, S. C., McGurk, D., Cotting, D. I., & Koffman, R. L. (2004) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa040603 · Cited by 4,778
How stigma interferes with mental health care.
Corrigan, P. (2004) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.59.7.614 · Cited by 3,648 · cited 2×
“The following common beliefs are likely to reduce their likelihood of seeking help: that psychiatric treatments are ineffective (Corrigan, 2004b); that others would react with avoidance; or that a person should solve their own problems (Kessler et al, 2001).”
BackgroundThe burden of oral disease: challenges to improving oral health in the 21st century.
Petersen, P. E. (2005) · Europe PMC (PubMed Central) · Cited by 3,575
Wang, P. S., Lane, M., Olfson, M., Pincus, H. A., Wells, K. B., & Kessler, R. C. (2005) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.629 · Cited by 2,695 · cited 4×
“…found that fewer than one third of all mentally ill people received assessment and treatment, although the rate rose to 60% Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale, 17, 1, 2008 G. Thornicroft for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (Narrow et al, 1993; Regier et al, 1993; Wang et al, 2005b).”
BackgroundInfluentialThe de Facto US Mental and Addictive Disorders Service System
Regier, D. A. (1993) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820140007001 · Cited by 1,988
A Modified Labeling Theory Approach to Mental Disorders: An Empirical Assessment
Link, B. G., Cullen, F. T., Struening, E., Shrout, P. E., & Dohrenwend, B. P. (1989) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/2095613 · Cited by 1,935 · cited 1×
“At the same time strong family encouragement to go for mental health assessment and treatment does often work (Link et al, 1989).”
BackgroundPrevalence and Treatment of Mental Disorders, 1990 to 2003
Kessler, R. C., Demler, O., Frank, R. G., Olfson, M., Pincus, H. A., Walters, E. E., Wang, P., Wells, K. B., & Zaslavsky, A. M. (2005) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmsa043266 · Cited by 1,910
Resources for mental health: scarcity, inequity, and inefficiency
Saxena, S., Thornicroft, G., Knapp, M., & Whiteford, H. (2007) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(07)61239-2 · Cited by 1,789
Self-citationWang, P. S., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Angermeyer, M. C., Borges, G., Bromet, E. J., Bruffaerts, R., de Girolamo, G., de Graaf, R., Gureje, O., et al. (2007) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(07)61414-7 · Cited by 1,655
Size and burden of mental disorders in Europe—a critical review and appraisal of 27 studies
Wittchen, H.-U., & Jacobi, F. (2005) · European Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2005.04.012 · Cited by 1,503
Research works printed but not linked: 5
- 2003, Inside Outside: Improving Mental Health Services for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in England
- Thornicroft, 2006, Actions Speak Louder: Tackling Discrimination against People with Mental Illness
- 10.1176/appi.ajp.161.9.1626 · DOI
- 10.1056/nejmsa043266 · DOI · Paper page
- Davis, 2004, A conceptual model of barriers to mental health services among African Americans, African American Research Perspectives, 10, 44
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Clement, S., Schauman, O., Graham, T., Maggioni, F., Evans-Lacko, S., Bezborodovs, N., Morgan, C., Rüsch, N., Brown, J. S. L., & Thornicroft, G. (2015) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291714000129 · Cited by 3,152
“…underfunding of mental health services, insuf fi cient health insurance coverage for mental ill health, media stereotypes) on access to mental health care (Schomerus & Angermeyer, 2008; Vogel et al. 2008), although we have delineated the potential role of structural stigma in our conceptual model.”
Self-citationEvidence for effective interventions to reduce mental-health-related stigma and discrimination
Thornicroft, G., Mehta, N., Clement, S., Evans-Lacko, S., Doherty, M., Rose, D., Koschorke, M., Shidhaye, R., O'Reilly, C., & Henderson, C. (2016) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00298-6 · Cited by 1,338
Self-citationKnaak, S., Mantler, E., & Szeto, A. (2017) · Healthcare Management Forum · doi:10.1177/0840470416679413 · Cited by 1,031
Mental Illness Stigma, Help Seeking, and Public Health Programs
Henderson, C., Evans-Lacko, S., & Thornicroft, G. (2013) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2012.301056 · Cited by 959
Self-citationSchnyder, N., Panczak, R., Groth, N., & Schultze-Lutter, F. (2017) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.116.189464 · Cited by 716
Metadata
- Authors
- Thornicroft, G.
- Affiliations
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Thornicroft, Graham
- ORCID
- Thornicroft, Graham
- Venue
- Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2008-03
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 14-19
- ISSN
- 1121-189X (ISSN-L)
- 2038-1816
- OpenAlex
- W1986958797
- Semantic Scholar
- 5bb0083275295c578ac3d6f3bd59044e951f9554
- Cited by
- 432
- References
- 75
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NF-SI-0611-10053)
- University of Oxford
- H. Lundbeck A/S
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
- Keywords
- mental health stigma, discrimination, access to mental health care, help-seeking, treatment avoidance, low-income countries, mental health service utilization, prejudice
- MeSH terms
- Mental Disorders, Health Services Accessibility, Humans, Mental Health Services, Stereotyping
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-09, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-09 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
