Implications of stigma towards mental health problems on suicide risk in people with mental health problems: a systematic review

Abstract

Background. Stigma associated with psychological problems is a major concern that negatively affects people living with different symptomatology, sometimes with serious consequences for their health. The principal purpose of this paper was to carry out an updated systematic review to explore the relationship between the stigma associated with mental health problems and the risk of suicide in the clinical population, as well as to study the variables involved in this relationship.

Method. A search was carried out in the PsycInfo, Pubmed and Scopus databases, using keywords related to stigma, suicide, and limiting the studies to clinical samples. The search included articles in English and Spanish from January 2012 to December 2020.

Results. A total of 12 articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected for analysis. The results suggest that increased self-stigma toward mental health problems is associated with increased risk of suicide in clinical population. Also, variables involved in this relationship are suggested, such as depression, hopelessness, loss of vital sense, unemployment or decrease of support networks.

Conclusion. The stigma associated with mental health problems could be a potential therapeutic target for reducing the risk of suicide in the clinical population. Exhaustive studies, with control groups random assignment, and more heterogeneous samples are necessary to know the phenomenon in greater depth.