فصلنامه خانواده پژوهی (Nov 2015)
Components of Stigma Experience in Families of Patients with Severe Psychiatric Disorders: A Qualitative Study
Abstract
Although the stigmatization of mental illness is a long-recognized issue, yet little is known about how the problem manifests differently across cultures. The aim of this study was to account for cultural differences in describing the experience of stigma in relatives of psychiatric patients at psychiatric ward. Qualitative data were obtained based on responses to 10 open-ended questions about stigma experience in 25 participants. The impact of stigma was rated by two encoders. The content analysis of data revealed few various categories describing caregivers’ perceptions of stigma. Main categories include: concealment, limitations, genetic attribution, and traditional beliefs in society about patient, godsend and acceptance, burden, importance of gender differences in stigma of illness. Patients with psychiatric disorders and their families suffer from stigma with an astoundingly broad range of negative attributes which may interfere with various aspects of their life. Concealment and limitations are common experience in families. Publicizing stigma experience could help modifying stigmatizing attitudes in society which may lead to healthier reactions from patients, and will enhance the course of illness.
