RESUMO

Globally the burden due to mental disorders is continuously increasing. Still, professional help-seeking behavior is not fully understood. To conceive cultural determinants of help-seeking is crucial to reduce personal and social costs of (untreated) mental disorders. The current study investigates mental health stigma and help-seeking attitudes in a Cuban (n = 195) and a German (n = 165) sample. In a questionnaire survey we asked for attitudes towards mental illness and professional help-seeking in the general Cuban and German populations. The cultural context was associated with mental health stigma and professional help-seeking attitudes. Interestingly, Cuban participants reported stronger mental health stigma and more willingness to seek help. In multiple hierarchical regression analyses, community attitudes towards the mentally ill significantly predicted help-seeking attitudes, especially in the Cuban sample. Only in the German sample, more negative individual beliefs about mental illness predicted more self-stigma on help-seeking. Beyond that, cultural context moderated the association between mental health stigma and help-seeking attitudes with a stronger association between the measures in the German sample. However, gender did not predict help-seeking attitudes and self-stigma on help-seeking and no interactions between community attitudes, cultural context, and gender were found in the prediction of help-seeking attitudes. Similarities and differences between the samples are discussed in the light of the cultural contexts and peculiarities of the current samples. Concluding, implications of the current findings are reviewed.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Se realizó un estudio epidemiológico descriptivo de corte tranversal sobre los patrones de consumo de bebidas alcohólicas en la población cubana adulta durante 1995. Se encontró una prevalencia de consumo de 45,2 porciento. En los grupos de bebedores de riesgo y alcohólicos hubo alta representación de los distintos territorios del país, aunque el mayor consumo se encuentra en la zona oriental. El predominio de la población masculina y el aumento progresivo de los bebedores con la edad, fueron hallazgos de interés, así como la asociación entre fumadores y los grupos con mayor consumo de alcohol. La prevalencia nacional de alcohólicos en mayores de 15 años fué de 8,8 porciento

Assuntos

RESUMO

Se realizó un estudio epidemiológico descriptivo, directo y de corte transversal de la población masculina adulta perteneciente a 4 consultorios médicos de Ciudad de La Habana para realizar una caracterización de ésta según sus patrones de consumo de alcohol. Se encuestó el universo de 910 personas a quienes se aplicaron los cuestionarios CAGE y CID y a un familiar; también se tuvo en cuenta el criterio de la comunidad y la valoración psiquiátrica según la CIE-10. Se detectó el 21,8 % de consumidores de riesgo y el 6,6 % de alcohólicos con un predominio de edades en los grupos de 20 a 29 y de 30 a 39 años de edad respectivamente. Fue alta la ausencia de vínculo laboral en esos grupos. Resultaron significativas las asociaciones entre consumo de alcohol y otros hábitos tóxicos, la repercusión laboral y en las relaciones de pareja.

A cross-sectional, direct, descriptive and epidemiological study of the adult male population from 4 family physician’s offices in Havana City was conducted to characterize it according to its alcohol drinking patterns. 910 persons and a relative of each of them were surveyed by using the CAGE and CID questionnaries. The community’s criterion as well as the psychiatric evaluation according to CIE-10 were taken into account. 21.8 % of risk drinkers and 6.6 % of alcoholics were detected. A predominance was observed in the age groups 20-29 and 30-39, respectively. Most of these persons did not work. The associations between alcohol drinking and other toxic habits, working repercussion and couple’s relations were significant.

Assuntos