Depression-related stigma: comparing laypersons’ stigmatic attributions towards younger and older persons

Objectives: A great amount of interest has been invested in the understanding of public stigma toward persons with depression. However, published studies were mostly restricted to the study of stigma toward a young person with depression. This study was aimed to compare public stigma towards a younger and an older person with depression among a sample of the Jewish adult population in Israel. Method: Computerized phone interviews were conducted with 393 participants (aged 18+) who were randomly presented with one of two vignettes describing a younger or an older person with depression. Results: Overall, the participants reported low levels of stigma towards a person with depression. With the exception of pity, the younger person elicited higher levels of stigmatic attributions in all dimensions (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) in comparison to the older person. Regardless of the age of the person with depression, only emotional reactions - but not cognitive attributions-were associated with discriminatory attributions. Conclusion: Our findings stress the importance of paying attention to the age of the person with depression in anti-stigma campaigns and studies to better understand the meaning and consequences of depression-stigma.