The Associated Stigma of Family Members of Depression Patients: A Qualitative Study

Objective: To understand the intertwined stigma experiences of the families of depression patients, providing a basis for implementing targeted interventions for depression patients and their families. To provide a basis for targeted interventions for patients with depression and their families. Methods: Based on the principle of data saturation, the family members of depressed patients in the mental health department and psychological outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Hangzhou from March to May 2025 were selected by the purpose sampling method, and the semi-structured interview method was used to conduct in-depth interviews with the research subjects, and the Colaizzi 7-step analysis method was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 4 themes, and 8 sub-themes were extracted, namely cognitive responses (cognitive biases), emotional responses (internalized stigma and self-blame, feelings of shame, worries and concerns), behavioral responses (concealing the illness, social avoidance), and the potential impact of associated illness stigma (impact on the profession of relatives, emergence of internal family conflicts). Conclusion: Healthcare workers should gain an in-depth understanding of the associated stigma faced by the families of patients with depression and provide targeted psychological support. At the same time, there should be a call for society to pay positive and appropriate attention to patients with depression and their families, improving the families’ understanding of the illness so that they can cope with the associated stigma in a positive manner.