Abstract
IntroductionSelf-stigma is the maladaptive psychosocial phenomenon that can affect the patient's self-image, may lead to dysphoria, social isolation, reduced adherence and quality of life. Maladaptive coping strategies may adversely disturb the overall functioning of psychiatric patients.ObjectivesThinking about coping strategies and self-stigma in practice may play a significant role in understanding patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, especially for mental health professionals. Focus on coping strategies could be a useful concept in supportive and educational therapy to help patients in using more adaptive coping strategies and decrease their self-stigma.AimsThe aim of this study was to determine the relation between coping strategies and the self-stigma among outpatients with schizophrenia and related disorders.MethodsStress Coping Style Questionnaire (SVF-78), Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) and severity of the disorder (measured by Clinical Global Impression objective and subjective form) were assessed.ResultsOne hundred and four patients suffering from schizophrenia (n = 67), schizoaffective disorder (n = 30), polymorphic psychotic disorder (n = 3), schizotypal disorder (n = 2) and delusional disorder (n = 2) were included in the study. The results showed that there was a high positive correlation between negative coping and self-stigma, and the negative correlation between positive strategies and the overall score of self-stigma. Stepwise regression analysis showed that negative coping (especially resignation), subjective severity SubjCGI and positive coping strategies (especially positive self-instruction) explains 52.8% of the overall score variance of self-stigma (Tables 1–3).ConclusionsThis study revealed that there is a connection between self-stigma and coping strategies in patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
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