Stigmatising attitudes towards people with mental disorders in a survey of older Japanese adults before the COVID-19 pandemic

Substantial minorities of older Japanese adults hold stigmatising attitudes towards people with mental disorders, particularly towards those experiencing schizophrenia, and for statements assessing desire for social distance. Anti-stigma efforts targeted at older Japanese adults might usefully focus on destigmatising schizophrenia, promoting the social inclusion and competence of people with mental disorders, and developing social contact interventions to reduce desire for social distance.