Stigmatisation towards people with mental health problems in secondary school students: an international cross-sectional study between three cities in Japan, China and South-Korea

There is great concern over stigmatisation amongst young people towards people with mental health problems. However, few studies have conducted international comparisons between young people living in Asian countries. This study investigated the knowledge and attitudes towards people with mental health problems in secondary school students in Osaka (Japan), Shenyang (China) and Busan (South-Korea) to determine which factors influence their understandings and attitudes towards people with mental health problems. The study included 380 participants from Osaka, 294 from Shenyang and 350 from Busan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess knowledge and social distance towards people with mental health problems, as understandings and attitudes. Stigmatising knowledge and attitudes were held by students in Osaka, Shengyang and Busan. The students in Busan were more likely to give positive responses than those in Osaka and Shenyang. There was a relationship between students' knowledge and social distance in the three cities. Students' attitudes were associated with knowing someone with mental health problems in Osaka and Busan, but not in Shenyang. The results indicated that the students in the three cities have misunderstandings and stigmatising attitudes, although there are differences in the degree of stigmatisation and its factors.