Stigma associated with mental illness among Asian men in Vancouver, Canada

Abstract

Background: Due to racism, xenophobic nationalism, acculturation pressures and patriarchal social relations, Asian men in Western societies may be particularly susceptible to negative experiences and beliefs regarding mental illness and treatment services. Aims: We examine factors associated with stigma toward mental illness among Asian men in Canada. Methods: Between 2013 and 2017, 428 self-identified Asian men living in proximity to Vancouver, Canada, were recruited and completed self-administered questionnaires assessing social stigma and self-stigma. The degree to which these variables were associated with the men’s sociodemographic characteristics was analyzed. Results: Multivariable regression revealed that social stigma was significantly predicted by age, immigration, employment status and experience with mental illness. Together, these variables accounted for 12.36% of variance in social stigma. Interaction terms were added to the regression models to examine whether the effects of immigration on social stigma varied by age and experience with mental illness, but none of the interaction terms were statistically significant. Among the 94 Asian men identified as living with mental illness, self-stigma was predicted by age, immigration and employment status, which together accounted for 14.97% of variance in self-stigma. Conclusion: These results offer new knowledge about the factors predicting stigma toward mental illness among Asian men in Western societies.