Sources of adolescent mental disorder self-stigma and the effect of mental health on its formation: a moderated mediation model

BackgroundAdolescent mental disorders affect 14% of youth globally, yet treatment rates remain low (38%), particularly in low-resource settings. While stigma is a recognized barrier to care, limited evidence exists on how multi-level stigma (public, peer, family) transforms into self-stigmatization during adolescence—a critical developmental period characterized by heightened peer sensitivity.MethodsThis cross-sectional study utilized a dyadic design to examine the transmission of stigma from ca