Research

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Mental health
Volume 224 - Issue 6

Stigmatising Attitudes Towards People With Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality, ADHD and Early and Long-Term/Untreated Schizophrenia: Representative Survey of Australian Adults

Authors:  Amy J. Morgan, Anna M. Ross, Gayle McNaught, Rachel Green, Nicola J. Reavley

Correspondence: ajmorgan@unimelb.edu.au

Med J Aust 2026 || doi: 10.5694/mja2.70230
Published online: 23 June 2026
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Abstract

Objectives

To examine the prevalence in Australia of stigmatising attitudes towards people with six different mental health conditions: depression, early and long-term/untreated forms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Design

Cross-sectional population-based survey using the probability-based online panel Life in Australia. Participants responded to one of six vignettes describing a person with a mental health condition.

Setting

Australia, 11–25 November 2024.

Participants

Representative sample of 6032 adult residents of Australia.

Main Outcome Measures

Proportions of participants who agreed or strongly agreed with 13 stigmatising attitudes and proportions who were definitely or probably unwilling to interact in five different social situations with the person in the vignette.

Results

Stigmatising attitudes were generally lowest for depression and highest for long-term schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. Beliefs about unpredictability had the highest endorsement: 61.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 58.2%–65.5%) for long-term schizophrenia; 56.3% (95% CI, 52.5%–59.9%) for borderline personality disorder; 52.8% (95% CI, 49.0%–56.6%) for early schizophrenia; 50.7% (95% CI, 47.0%–54.4%) for bipolar disorder; 29.2% (95% CI, 25.9%–32.7%) for ADHD and 23.3% (95% CI, 20.2%–26.7%) for depression. Forcing treatment was endorsed by 25.9% (95% CI, 22.6%–29.5%) for early schizophrenia and 24.1% (95% CI, 21.0%–27.6%) for long-term schizophrenia. For all conditions, at least 20% of participants did not agree that the person in the vignette was a person of worth, with agreement ranging from 78.5% (95% CI, 75.1%–81.6%) for early schizophrenia to 67.4% (95% CI, 63.8%–70.9%) for long-term schizophrenia. There were high levels of unwillingness for the person in the vignette to marry into the family: ranging from 29.7% (95% CI, 26.4%–33.2%) for ADHD to 64.4% (95% CI, 60.7%–67.9%) for long-term schizophrenia.

Conclusions

Stigma related to mental health conditions remains prevalent in Australia and contributes to social and economic exclusion among those affected. Sustained action is needed across multiple sectors to address stigma, particularly towards conditions such as schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder, which are poorly understood within the community.

View this article on Wiley Online Library

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