There are Many Facets of Stigmatization: Cross-Cultural Evidence from Four Samples in the United Arab Emirates

Stigmatization of individuals suffering from mental illness has been recognized as one of the most influential reasons for avoidance of seeking professional help, thus posing a substantial concern to public health. Several studies suggest that there are cross-cultural differences in perception and stigmatization of individuals suffering from mental illness. Recent evidence indicates that stigmatization may be better understood as a multifaceted construct, thus making it possible to identify culture-specific causes for and cross-cultural differences in stigmatization. Presently, we provide evidence for cross-cultural differences in stigmatization and help seeking behavior in a sample of 135 African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Western participants living in the United Arab Emirates. Cross-cultural differences in attitudes towards help seeking behavior and seven distinct domains of attitudes towards mentally ill individuals (stigma) were investigated in a series of univariate analyses of variance. Strongest effects were observed for anxiety, beliefs about treatability, hygiene, professional efficacy, and help seeking behavior, whilst non-trivial albeit non-significant effects could be shown for recovery, relationship disruption, and visibility. Our results demonstrate the need for understanding stigmatization processes as culture-specific mechanisms.