Mental health stigma in Ukraine over time: A cross-sectional study

Background and study objectives. This study aimed to identify changes in public
knowledge and attitudes in Ukraine. This was done with a focus on: (1) public
knowledge of mental health disorders and the treatment of these; (2) public attitudes
towards individuals with mental health disorders and the treatment of these
individuals within the community; and (3) intended behaviours in the public towards
individuals with mental health disorders.
Methodology. A repeated cross-sectional nationwide survey was used to gather data from Ukrainian adults aged 18-60; this data was then compared to similar data
gathered by Quirke et al. (2021) to form a comparison study. The survey was comprised of the same measures as the original study, which included the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule, the Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness Scale and the Reported Intended Behaviour scale. Results. Measures of knowledge and attitudes towards individuals with mental disorders reflected a small reduction of knowledge (r= 0.13, p< .001) and large reduction in benevolent attitudes (r= 0.96, p< .001). Conversely, measures of attitudes towards individuals with mental disorders also showed a large decrease in
authoritarian attitudes (r= -0.50, p< .001). Measures of behaviour reflected a medium
positive increase in past and present (r= 0.33, p< .001) behaviour and a small
positive increase in intended future behaviour towards individuals with mental illness
(r= 0.24, p< .001).
Conclusions.
Overall, the study provides a snapshot of changes in attitudes, knowledge and
behaviours of the general public towards those with mental health disorders in
Ukraine. Most importantly, it highlights the growing need for evidence-based anti stigma interventions and the monitoring of their impact