<b>Stigma Toward Mental Illness Among Healthcare Professionals In A Tertiary Care Hospital </b>

Received: 16-06-2026 Revised: 20-06-2026 Accepted: 23-06-2026 Introduction:Stigma toward mental illness among healthcare professionals remains a significant barrier to equitable and effective mental healthcare. Negative attitudes among healthcare providers can adversely affect patient outcomes, delay help-seeking, and compromise therapeutic relationships. This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of stigma toward mental illness among healthcare professionals working in a tertiary care hospital. Methods:A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and allied health personnel. Participants completed a structured online questionnaire comprising the Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale, Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC), Modified Bogardus Social Distance Scale, and Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS). Associations between stigma scores and demographic or professional characteristics were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. Results:The mean CAMI total score was 112.6 ± 18.4, indicating a moderate level of stigma. Nurses demonstrated significantly higher stigma scores than doctors and allied health professionals across all assessment scales (p<0.001). Overall, 28.9% of participants were categorized as having high stigma, with the highest prevalence among nurses (44.7%). Healthcare professionals working in psychiatry settings, those with prior psychiatry training, and those reporting personal or family experience of mental illness exhibited significantly lower stigma levels (all p<0.001). Mental health knowledge showed a moderate inverse correlation with stigma (r = −0.41, p<0.001). In multivariable analysis, nursing profession emerged as the strongest independent predictor of higher stigma, whereas prior psychiatry training and personal history of mental illness independently predicted lower stigma scores. Conclusion:Stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness remain common among healthcare professionals, particularly nurses. Exposure to psychiatric training, enhanced mental health literacy, and personal contact with mental illness appear to mitigate stigma. Integrating structured anti-stigma education and contact-based learning into healthcare training programs may promote more compassionate and inclusive mental healthcare delivery.