Public Stigma and Mental Health Problems: A Comparative Analysis of the General Population and Healthcare Professionals Not Specialized in Mental Health

Background/Objectives: Public stigma towards people with mental health problems persists in both the general population and healthcare settings. However, direct comparisons between these groups remain limited. This study aimed to compare public stigma levels between the Spanish general population and healthcare professionals not specialized in mental health. Methods: An observational, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted in Spain using two independent convenience samples: 404 individuals from the general population and 702 healthcare professionals (646 nurses and 56 physicians). Attitudes were assessed using the Spanish version of the Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness Scale—Short Form (CAMI-S). Group differences were examined, and multiple linear regression was used to identify factors associated with attitudes towards people with mental health problems. Results: Healthcare professionals showed significantly more favourable attitudes than the general population in the overall CAMI-S score and across its three dimensions: integration and contact, social distance, and dangerousness and avoidance. However, the differences were small, suggesting limited practical differences between groups. In the adjusted multivariable analysis, university education, female sex, not having children, personal history of mental health problems, and close contact with people with mental health problems were significantly associated with more favourable attitudes. Healthcare professional status was not significantly associated with CAMI-S scores after adjustment for educational attainment and other covariates. The model explained 14.1% of the variance in CAMI-S scores. Conclusions: More favourable attitudes than the general population were found in the unadjusted comparisons. However, healthcare professional status was not significantly associated with attitudes after adjustment for educational attainment and other covariates. These findings highlight the importance of considering sociodemographic characteristics when interpreting differences in mental health stigma between groups.