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Relationships between stereotyped beliefs about mental illness, discrimination experiences, and distressed mood over 1 year among persons with schizophrenia enrolled in rehabilitation

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Research suggests stereotype endorsement or self-stigma serves as a barrier to functioning and well-being among persons with schizophrenia. Little is known about how stable self-stigma is and whether it is linked over time with related constructs such as discrimination experiences and psychological distress.

Methods

Stereotype endorsement and discrimination experiences were assessed using the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale and psychological distress was assessed using the Emotional Discomfort component of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, at three points in time across 1 year.

Results

Path analyses indicated that the constructs of stereotype endorsement and discrimination experiences are stable over periods of 5–7 months and may fluctuate over 12 months. Further, the constructs of stereotype endorsement and discrimination experiences were related to one another concurrently, but analyses failed to detect a relationship over time. Neither construct was related to psychological distress over time.

Conclusions

Self-stigma is a stable construct in the short term, and is distinct from related constructs such as discrimination experiences and psychological distress.

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Acknowledgment

This research was funded by a grant from the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Day Hospital 116H, 1481 West 10th St, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Paul H. Lysaker & Jamie Ringer

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Paul H. Lysaker & Jamie Ringer

  3. Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Chloe Tunze & Kevin Rand

  4. Psychology Department, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, 445 W. 59th St., New York, NY, 10019, USA

    Philip T. Yanos

  5. Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    David Roe

Authors
  1. Paul H. Lysaker
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  2. Chloe Tunze
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  3. Philip T. Yanos
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  4. David Roe
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  5. Jamie Ringer
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Correspondence to Paul H. Lysaker.

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Lysaker, P.H., Tunze, C., Yanos, P.T. et al. Relationships between stereotyped beliefs about mental illness, discrimination experiences, and distressed mood over 1 year among persons with schizophrenia enrolled in rehabilitation. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 47, 849–855 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0396-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0396-2

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