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Query: UMLS:C0277787 (stigma)
 13,352 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (National DMDA) is the largest patient-directed, illness-specific organization in the United States, representing the millions of people living with mood disorders. Recent National DMDA surveys have shown that people with mood disorders often have incorrect information about their illnesses, that misdiagnoses are frequent, that a significant physician/patient communication gap exists, and that noncompliance is widespread. For optimal recovery to occur, it is important that individuals receive correct information about their symptoms and treatments, that physicians and other healthcare providers understand mood disorders from a patient perspective, and that doctors and patients communicate fully throughout the course of treatment about symptoms, side effects, and other concerns. National DMDA plays an important role in the management of mood disorders by urging those who are undiagnosed or untreated to seek treatment; by providing accurate, easy-to-understand information; and by facilitating support groups in which patients and their families can discuss treatment and management of their illnesses. The organization encourages patients to play active roles in their treatment plans and to attend support groups, which have been shown to increase patient compliance and decrease the incidence of psychiatric hospitalization. According to the US Surgeon General, stigma is the number one barrier to mental health care, and National DMDA's evidence supports this. National DMDA works to combat stigma with education, advocacy, and patient self-help. Increased awareness and openness about mood disorders can lead to increased acceptance, which, in turn, can lead to more timely diagnosis and treatment.
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PMID:Mood disorders: diagnosis, treatment, and support from a patient perspective. 1239 65

Acute malnutrition affects millions of children each year, yet global coverage of life-saving treatment through the community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) is estimated to be below 15%. We investigated the potential role of stigma as a barrier to accessing CMAM. We surveyed caregivers bringing children to rural health facilities in Marsabit County, Kenya, divided into three strata based on the mid-upper arm circumference of the child: normal status (n = 327), moderate acute malnutrition (MAM, n = 241) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM, n = 143). We used multilevel mixed effects logistic regression to estimate the odds of reporting shame as a barrier to accessing health care. We found that the most common barriers to accessing child health care were those known to be universally problematic: women's time and labour constraints. These constituted the top five most frequently reported barriers regardless of child acute malnutrition status. In contrast, the odds of reporting shame as a barrier were 3.64 (confidence interval: 1.66-8.03, P < 0.05) times higher in caregivers of MAM and SAM children relative to those of normal children. We conclude that stigma is an under-recognized barrier to accessing CMAM and may constrain programme coverage. In light of the large gap in coverage of CMAM, there is an urgent need to understand the sources of acute malnutrition-associated stigma and adopt effective means of de-stigmatization.
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PMID:Stigma as a barrier to treatment for child acute malnutrition in Marsabit County, Kenya. 2598 53