The Effects of Age and Gender on Adolescent Mental Health Stigma. An International Study in the Iberian Peninsula

Background: Mental health stigma is a phenomenon present in adolescents. Age or gender are important variables to provide further intervention on stigma in this population. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 459 adolescents from the Iberian Peninsula (n = 230 from Spain and n = 229 from Portugal). Sociodemographic, stigmatizing attributions, and desire for social distance were assessed. Descriptive, mean differences, and mediational models were carried out. Results: Findings revealed that the relationship between stigmatizing attributions and social distance is differently moderated by age and gender. In boys, the influence of attitudes on the desire for social distance increases with age, while in girls this influence is stronger when they are younger. Conclusions: These findings can contribute to guiding policies and tailored interventions for social inclusion and stigma reduction..