Mental Illness Knowledge and Stigma of Jamaican Diaspora & First-Generation Jamaican Americans

Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe U.S. Jamaican diasporan and first-generation Jamaican Americans knowledge of and stigma towards mental illness. SPECIFIC AIMS: 1. Describe U.S. dwelling Jamaican diaspora and first-generation Jamaican Americans knowledge of mental illness and stigma towards mental illness with identification of drivers and facilitators of stigma. 2. Elicit descriptors used by Jamaican diaspora and first-generation Jamaican Americans to describe mental illness. 3. Determine association of mental illness stigma and mental illness knowledge, to age, gender, education, employment, religiosity, years living in the U.S., socioeconomic status, personal history of mental illness, and family member with mental illness. FRAMEWORK: The Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive survey. RESULTS: Jamaican diaspora years have less knowledge (mean 97.25, SD 10.27) than Jamaican Americans (mean 104.24, SD 7.74; p =.001). Participants > 40 years had less knowledge (mean 97.05, SD 9.54) than those < 40 years (mean 102.08, SD 10.95; p =.003). Jamaican diaspora years have more stigma (mean -.52, SD .76) than Jamaican Americans (mean -1.10, SD .73; p < .001). Participants > 40 years had more stigma (mean -.48, SD .69) than those < 40 years (mean 1.02, SD .87; p <.001). CONCLUSION: Older adults have less knowledge of mental illness and more stigma. Jamaican diaspora has less knowledge and more stigma than First-generation Jamaican Americans. Greater mental illness knowledge is associated with less stigma providing support for ongoing efforts to increase public knowledge of mental illness with added emphasis on word choice/terms used when talking about people with mental illness. PURPOSE: To describe U.S. Jamaican diasporan and first-generation Jamaican Americans knowledge of and stigma towards mental illness. SPECIFIC AIMS: 1. Describe U.S. dwelling Jamaican diaspora and first-generation Jamaican Americans knowledge of mental illness and stigma towards mental illness with identification of drivers and facilitators of stigma. 2. Elicit descriptors used by Jamaican diaspora and first-generation Jamaican Americans to describe mental illness. 3. Determine association of mental illness stigma and mental illness knowledge, to age, gender, education, employment, religiosity, years living in the U.S., socioeconomic status, personal history of mental illness, and family member with mental illness. FRAMEWORK: The Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive survey. RESULTS: Jamaican diaspora years have less knowledge (mean 97.25, SD 10.27) than Jamaican Americans (mean 104.24, SD 7.74; p =.001). Participants > 40 years had less knowledge (mean 97.05, SD 9.54) than those < 40 years (mean 102.08, SD 10.95; p =.003). Jamaican diaspora years have more stigma (mean -.52, SD .76) than Jamaican Americans (mean -1.10, SD .73; p < .001). Participants > 40 years had more stigma (mean -.48, SD .69) than those < 40 years (mean 1.02, SD .87; p <.001). CONCLUSION: Older adults have less knowledge of mental illness and more stigma. Jamaican diaspora has less knowledge and more stigma than First-generation Jamaican Americans. Greater mental illness knowledge is associated with less stigma providing support for ongoing efforts to increase public knowledge of mental illness with added emphasis on word choice/terms used when talking about people with mental illness.