Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Short Form

Abstract. Background: The detrimental consequences of stigma have been recognized in extensive research on mental illness stigma, but experiences of suicide-related stigmatization have not received sufficient research attention. The lack of a simple self-report assessment of personal suicide-related stigma led to the work reported here. Aim: To develop and assess the validity of the Personal Suicide Stigma Questionnaire (PSSQ). Method: The item pool for PSSQ was based on qualitative data and was tested in a community sample of 224 adults (mean age = 32.68 years, 83% female, 92.9% Caucasian) who reported lifetime suicidality. Factor analysis was used for item selection. The Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale – Short form (SSMIS-SF) and Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire – Revised (SBQ-R) were used to assess validity of the scale. Results: Following analysis, 16 items, forming three highly interrelated factors (Rejection, Minimization, and Self-blame), were selected for the PSSQ. The PSSQ scores showed predicted relationships with mental illness stigma and suicidality, suggesting its validity. Limitations: The validity of the scale still requires further research in clinical populations. Conclusion: The newly developed PSSQ can be used to assess the levels of suicide-related stigma experiences of suicidal individuals.

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Disclosing the diagnosis of schizophrenia: A pilot study of the ‘Coming Out Proud’ intervention

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764019840057 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 65 (3) ◽

pp. 244-251 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Viviane Piagentini Candal Setti ◽

Alexandre Andrade Loch ◽

Arlete Modelli ◽

Cristiana Castanho de Almeida Rocca ◽

Ines Hungerbuehler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Coming Out ◽

Group Intervention ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Short Form ◽

Sociocultural Factors ◽

Outpatient Services ◽

Mean Values ◽

Stigma Of Mental Illness

Background: Schizophrenia is one of the most stigmatized psychiatric disorders, and disclosing it is often a source of stress to individuals with the disorder. The Coming Out Proud (COP) group intervention is designed to reduce the stigma’s negative impact and help participants decide if they want to disclose their disorder. Aims: To assess the effect of the COP intervention in individuals with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Methods: A pilot study of 3 2-hour group lessons (6–12 participants) per week. Individuals were selected from three specialized outpatient services in São Paulo, Brazil; 46 people were willing to participate, 11 dropped out during the intervention and 4 were excluded due to low intelligence quotient (IQ), resulting in a final sample of 31 participants. Outcomes were assessed before ( T0/baseline) and after ( T1/directly) after the COP intervention, and at 3-week follow-up ( T2/3 weeks after T1). We applied eight scales, of which four scales are analyzed in this article (Coming Out with Mental Illness Scale (COMIS), Cognitive Appraisal of Stigma as a Stressor (CogApp), Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale-Short Form (SSMIS) and Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Questionnaire (PDDQ)). Results: People who completed the COP intervention showed a significant increase in the decision to disclose their diagnosis (22.5% in T0 vs 67.7% in T2). As to the perception of stigma as a stressor, mean values significantly increased after the intervention ( T0 = 3.83, standard deviation ( SD) = .92 vs T2 = 4.44, SD = 1.05; p = .006). Two results had marginal significance: self-stigma was reduced ( T0 = 3.10, SD = 1.70 vs T2 = 2.73, SD = 1.87; p = .063), while perceived discrimination increased ( T0 = 2.68, SD = .55 vs T2 = 2.93, SD = .75; p = .063). Conclusion: This study suggests that the COP group intervention facilitated participants’ disclosure decisions, and the increasing awareness of stigma as a stressor in life may have facilitated their decision to eventually disclose their disorder. The results raise questions that require further analysis, taking sociocultural factors into account, as stigma is experienced differently across cultures.

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