Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems
Gilbert et al.‚ 2007
We are interested in people’s thoughts and feelings about mental health problems. As you may know‚ some people suffer from mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. These can make it difficult to cope with everyday life. Depressed people can feel tired‚ not enjoy life‚ want to hide away and may withdraw from family life. Below are a series of statements about how you‚ your community and your family may think about such problems. Read each statement carefully and circle the number that best describes how much you agree with each statement.
Please use the following scale:
0 = Do not agree at all; 1 = Agree a little; 2 = Mostly agree; 3 = Completely Agree
Attitudes towards Mental Health Problems
For this first set of questions please think about how your community and family view mental health problems such as depression and anxiety with a difficulty to cope in everyday life.
1. My community sees mental health problems as something to keep secret | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
2. My community sees mental health problems as a personal weakness | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
3. My community would tend to look down on somebody with mental health problems | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
4. My community would want to keep their distance from someone with mental health problems | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
5. My family see mental health problems as something to keep secret | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
6. My family see mental health problems as personal weakness | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
7. My family would tend to look down on somebody with mental health problems | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
8. My family would want to keep their distance from someone with mental health problems | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
External Shame/Stigma Awareness
For the next set of question please think about how you might feel if you suffered from mental health problems such as depression and anxiety with a difficulty to cope in everyday life.
9. I think my community would look down on me | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
10. I think my community would see me as inferior | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
11. I think my community would see me as inadequate | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
12. I think my community would see me as weak | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
13. I think my community would see me as not measuring up to their standards | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
14. I think my family would look down on me | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
15. I think my family would see me as inferior | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
16. I think my family would see me as inadequate | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
17. I think my family would see me as weak | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
18. I think my family would see me as not measuring up to their | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Internal Shame
For the next set of questions please think about how you might feel about yourself if you suffered from mental health problems such as depression and anxiety with a difficulty to cope in everyday life.
19. I would see myself as inferior | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
20. I would see myself as inadequate | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
21. I would blame myself for my problems | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
22. I would see myself as a weak person | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
23. I would see myself as a failure | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Reflected Shame 1
For the next set of questions we would like you to think about how you might feel if you suffered from mental health problems such as depression and anxiety with a difficulty to cope in everyday life. This time consider how worried or concerned you would be on the impact on your family.
24. My family would be seen as inferior | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
25. My family would be seen as inadequate | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
26. My family would be blamed for my problems | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
27. My family would lose status in the community | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
28. I would worry about the effect on my family | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
29. I would worry that I would be letting my family’s honour down | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
30. I would worry that my mental health problems could damage my family’s reputation | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Reflected Shame 2
For the next set of questions we would like you to think about how you might feel if one of your close relatives suffers from mental health problems such as depression and anxiety with a difficulty to cope in everyday life. This time consider how worried or concerned you would be on the impact on you.
31. I would worry that others will look down on me | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
32. I would worry that others would not wish to associated with me | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
33. I would worry that my own reputation and honour might be harmed | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
34. I would worry that if this were known I would lose status the community | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
35. I would worry that others might think I might also have a mental health problem | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
DESCRIPTION
Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems
We devised the ATMHP as a 35-item scale to tap different aspects of shame in relationship to a mental health problem. Previous research (Gilbert et al.‚ 2004) had illuminated a number of shame concerns in Asian women. These related to community attitudes‚ family attitudes‚ and self-attitudes. Some of these are forms of external shame where a person becomes focused on how others may view them (Gilbert‚ 1998‚ 2002). In addition‚ this scale explores personal shame-focused attitudes for a mental health problem. As noted above‚ the concept of reflected shame and Izzat – that is‚ one can bring shame to others (e.g. to one’s family)‚ and others can bring shame to the self – is a salient concern for some people and items were constructed to tap this. Thus the scale is divided into five sections.
Section 1 is divided into two sub-sections. 1. A person’s perception of how their community sees mental health problems (items 1–4)‚ and 2. A person’s perception of how their family perceives mental health problems (items 5–8).
Section 2 is also split up into two sub-sections. 1. A person’s perception of how their community would see them if they had a mental health problem (items 9–13)‚ and 2. A person’s perception of how their family would see them if they had a mental health problem (items 14–18).
Section 3 focuses on internal shame and the negative self-evaluation of having a mental health problem (items 19–23).
Section 4 focuses on reflected shame and beliefs about how one’s family would be seen if one had a mental health problem (items 24–30).
Section 5 looks at fears of reflected shame on self‚ associated with a close relative having a mental health problem (items 31–35). All items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from ‘Do not agree at all’=0 to ‘completely agree’=3.
REFERENCES
Gilbert‚ P.‚ Bhundia‚ R Mitra‚ R.‚ McEwan‚ K.‚ Irons‚ C. & Sanghera‚ J. (2007). Cultural differences in shame-focused attitudes towards mental health problems in Asian and non-Asian student women. Mental Health‚ Religion & Culture‚ 10‚ 127-141.
Cite this article
mohammad looti (2026). Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/attitudes-towards-mental-health-problems/
mohammad looti. "Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 26 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/attitudes-towards-mental-health-problems/.
mohammad looti. "Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/attitudes-towards-mental-health-problems/.
mohammad looti (2026) 'Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/attitudes-towards-mental-health-problems/.
[1] mohammad looti, "Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
mohammad looti. Attitudes Towards Mental Health Problems. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.