Stigma towards mental illness in Bangladesh: An update

Mental health stigma remains a common barrier to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness. Despite increasing research attention, little is known in a comprehensive manner in Bangladesh. This review aimed to synthesize quantitative and qualitative evidence on mental health stigma in Bangladesh to highlight population-specific patterns, determinants and policy gaps to guide anti-stigma interventions. A search was done across PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, BanglaJOL, and Google to identify and summarize the available studies assessing stigma toward mental illness among Bangladeshi population. Twelve studies were included with samples from medical students, healthcare providers, religious leaders, caregivers, patients, and the general public. Quantitative studies revealed moderate-to-high stigma levels, with negative attitudes associated with lower education, lower socio-economic condition, rural residence, and lack of mental health knowledge. Qualitative studies emphasized supernatural beliefs, shame, social rejection, and fear of discrimination. Stigma toward mental illness in Bangladesh is rooted in cultural and social contexts. There is a need for longitudinal and interventional studies to identify the causative factors of mental health stigma and to examine changes in public attitudes following interventions.