“That’s all Fake”: Health professionals stigma and physical healthcare of people living with Serious Mental Illness

BACKGROUND: People living with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) die earlier than the general population due to preventable medical conditions. Latinos living with SMI are a particularly vulnerable population with higher prevalence of chronic medical conditions. Stigma has been identified as a factor that fosters health inequities for Latinos/as with SMI, particularly Puerto Ricans. Although personal and social consequences of stigmatization have been well documented, research regarding the role of cultural factors on healthcare interactions is scarce. Furthermore, little research has focused on addressing stigma from the perspective of healthcare professionals. METHODS: We investigated this process through a qualitative design using semi-structured individual interviews with 11 healthcare professionals (8 physicians and 3 nurses) in Puerto Rico. We conducted a thematic analysis to analyze the data. RESULTS: Following a thematic analysis, we found three main themes and nine sub-themes related to the stigmatization process. Some participants reported perceptions of dangerousness and uneasiness, social distance and inadequate care. Participants also emphasized a lack of medical training regarding SMI within the Puerto Rican context. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the need to develop culturally appropriate public health interventions targeting healthcare professionals in order to address stigma and eliminate health disparities among Latinos/as with SMI.