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Cited by 349Mental Health Treatment and AccessCultural Competency in Health CareGender Roles and Identity Studies

Understanding and Addressing Mental Health Stigma Across Cultures for Improving Psychiatric Care: A Narrative Review

Open access
Ahad, Ahmed A, Sanchez-Gonzalez, Marcos, Junquera, Patricia·2023·Cureus
DOI 10.7759/cureus.39549PMC PMC10220277
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Abstract

Stigma, characterized by negative stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, is a significant impediment in psychiatric care, deterring the timely provision of this care and hindering optimal health outcomes. Pervasive in all aspects of psychiatric care, stigma leads to delayed treatment, increased morbidity, and diminished quality of life for those with poor mental health. Hence, better understanding the impact of stigma across different cultural contexts is critically essential, aiming to inform culturally nuanced strategies to minimize its consequences and contribute to a more equitable and effective psychiatric care system. The purpose of the present literature review is twofold (i) to examine the existing research on the stigma surrounding psychiatry across different cultural contexts and (ii) to identify the commonalities and differences in the nature, magnitude, and consequences of this stigma in different cultures in the psychiatry field. In addition, potential strategies for addressing stigma will be proposed. The review covers a range of countries and cultural settings, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural nuances to combat stigma and promote mental health awareness globally.

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  • CBT reduces both panic frequency and sleep-related anxiety in PD, supported by multiple RCTs and meta-analyses.

    “CBT directly targets the cognitive distortions and catastrophic thinking that sustain panic symptoms, and remains one of the most extensively validated interventions for PD, supported by multiple RCTs and meta-analyses demonstrating efficacy in reducing both panic frequency and sleep-related anxiety [108-110].”

    From Pre-Sleep Anxiety: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches in Clinical Practice. (2026) · cites this paper as [108]

    The Review section discusses interventions to reduce mental-health stigma, including education, peer support, and culturally competent care. Searches for CBT, panic disorder, panic frequency, and sleep-related anxiety found no passage addressing CBT’s efficacy for those outcomes or the claimed RCT and meta-analysis evidence. The available passages have no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.77)

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Authors
Ahad, A. A., Sanchez-Gonzalez, M., & Junquera, P.
Affiliations
  • Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (US)
  • Florida International University (US)
Corresponding author
Ahad, Ahmed A
ORCID
Junquera, Patricia
Venue
Cureus
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2023-05-26
Volume
15
Issue
5
Pages
e39549-e39549
ISSN
2168-8184 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.7759/cureus.39549
PMC
PMC10220277
OpenAlex
W4378574446
Cited by
349
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 119 · 2025: 178 · 2024: 50 · 2023: 2
FWCI
17.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Cureus (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Cultural Competency in Health Care
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
Keywords
mental health stigma, psychiatric nursing, cultural differences, stigma reduction interventions, mental health awareness, help-seeking barriers, treatment delay

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