"My bitterness is deeper than the ocean": understanding internalized stigma from the perspectives of persons with schizophrenia and their family caregivers.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It is estimated that 8 million of the Chinese adult population had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Stigma associated with mental illness, which is pervasive in the Chinese cultural context, impacts both persons with schizophrenia and their family caregivers. However, a review of the literature found a dearth of research that explored internalized stigma from the perspectives of both patients and their caregivers.

Methods

We integrated data from standardized scales and narratives from semi-structured interviews obtained from eight family-dyads. Interview narratives about stigma were analyzed using directed content analysis and compared with responses from Chinese versions of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale and Affiliated Stigma Scale. Scores from the

SUBMITTER: Wong YI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5883360 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature