Self-stigma, empowerment and perceived discrimination among people with bipolar disorder or depression in 13 European countries: the GAMIAN-Europe study

Background/Objectives: There is little information on the degree to which self-stigma is experienced by individuals with a diagnosis of depression or bipolar disorder across Europe. This study describes the levels of self-stigma, stigma resistance, empowerment and perceived discrimination reported in these groups. Methods: Data were collected from 1,182 people with depression or bipolar disorder using a postal survey from members of national mental health non-governmental organisations. Results: Over one fifth of participants (21.7%) reported moderate or high levels of self-stigma, 59.7% moderate or high stigma…