Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Stigma and discrimination towards people with schizophrenia and their family members

A qualitative study with focus groups

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

There is a scarcity of data regarding the actual stigma and discrimination experienced by schizophrenic patients and their relatives. Those experiences can vary significantly depending on the specific social group involved. We have explored such phenomena in our culture with a qualitative technique.

Methods

We developed a qualitative study with focus groups of clinically stable schizophrenic outpatients (N = 18) and relatives (N = 26). Three groups were performed in each sample.

Results

Six categories of stigma and discrimination experiences were extracted from the patients’ data: Mental illness vs. Lack of will, Prejudice related to dangerousness, Over-protection-infantilization, Daily social discrimination, Discrimination in health care, Descendants, Avoidance-social isolation. Data from relatives were divided into three sets: discrimination towards the patients witnessed by relatives, discrimination suffered by the relatives themselves and discrimination exerted by the relatives on the patients.

Conclusions

Patients and relatives describe a great variety of stigma and discrimination experiences in all areas of life, including health care. Isolation and avoidance are common reactions to those experiences. Publicizing these stigma and discrimination experiences could help to reduce stigmatizing attitudes in society and result in healthier reactions from patients, favoring a better course of the illness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sartorius N (2004) Diminishing the stigma of schizophrenia. Adv Schizophrenia Clin Psychiatr 1(2):50–54

    Google Scholar 

  2. Schulze B, Richter-Werling M, Matschinger H, Angermeyer MC (2003) Crazy? So What( Effects of a school project on students’ Attitudes towards people with Schizophrenia. Acta Psychiat Scand 107:142–150

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Schulze B, Angermeyer MC (2003) Subjective experiences of stigma. A focus group study of schizophrenic patients, their relatives and mental health professionals. Soc Sci Med 56:299–312

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H (2004) The stereotype of Schizophrenia and its impact on discrimination against people with Schizophrenia: results from a representative survey in Germany. Schizophrenia Bull 30(4):1049–1061

    Google Scholar 

  5. Kadri N, Manoudi F, Berrada S, Moussaoui D (2004) Stigma impact on Moroccan families of patients with Schizophrenia. Can J Psychiatry 49(9):625–629

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Link BG, Phelan JC (2001) Conceptualizing stigma. Annu Rev Soc 27:363–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Goffman E (1972) Internados. Amorrortu, Buenos Aires

    Google Scholar 

  8. Scheff TJ (1966) Being mentally ill: a sociological theory. Aldine de Gruyter, New York

    Google Scholar 

  9. Allport G (1979) The nature of prejudice. Perseus Books, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  10. Heatherton TF, Kleck RE, Hebl MR, Hull JG (eds) (2000) The social psychology of stigma. Guilford Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  11. Guimón J, Fischer W, Sartorius N (1999) The image of madness. Karger, Bassel

    Book  Google Scholar 

  12. Hudson Jones A (1998) Mental illness made Public: ending the stigma? Lancet 352:1060–1062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. McKeon P (1998). Defeating or preventing stigma of mental illness? Lancet 352:1942

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Penn DL (1999) Dispelling the stigma of Schizophrenia: II. The impact of information on dangerousness. Schizophrenia Bull 25(3):437–446

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Boisvert CM, Faust D (1999) Effects of the Label “Schizophrenia” on causal attribution of violence. Schizophrenia Bull 25(3):479–491

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Wahl OF (1999) Mental health consumers’ experience of stigma. Schizophrenia Bull 25(3):467–478

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Sartorius N (1997) Fighting Schizophrenia and its stigma. Br J Psychiatry 170:297

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sartorius N (1989) Stigma: what can psychiatrists do about It? Lancet 352(9133):1058–1059

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. López-Ibor JJ (2000) La lucha contra el estigma de la esquizofrenia. An R Acad Nac Med 295–317

  20. World Health Organization. The World Health Report (2001) Mental health: new understanding, New Hope. World Health Organization, 2001

    Google Scholar 

  21. Angermeyer MC, Link B, Majcher-Angermeyer A (1987) Stigma perceived by patients attending modern treatment settings. J Ner Ment Dis 175:4–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Phelan JC, Bromet EJ, Link BG (1998) Psychiatric illness and family stigma. Schizophrenia Bull 24(1):115–126

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Papadopoulos C, Leavey G, Vincent C (2002) Factors influencing stigma. a comparison of Greek-Cypriot and English attitudes towards mental illness in north London. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 37(9):430–434

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Estroff SE, Penn DL, Toporek JR (2004) From stigma to discrimination: an analysis of community efforts to reduce the negative consequences of having a psychiatric disorder and label. Schizophrenia Bull 30(3):493–509

    Google Scholar 

  25. Link BG, Yang LH, Phelan JC, Collins PY (2004) Measuring mental illness stigma. Schizophrenia Bull 30(3):511–541

    Google Scholar 

  26. Silverman D (2000). Doing qualitative research. a practical handbook. Sage, London

    Google Scholar 

  27. Morgan DL (1997) Focus group as qualitative research, 2nd edn. London

  28. Krueger RA, Casey MA (2000). Focus groups. 3rd edn. Sage, Thousand Oaks

    Google Scholar 

  29. Morgan DL (1998) Successful focus groups. advancing the state of the art. Sage, London

    Google Scholar 

  30. Casey MA (1995) Concerns in the analysis of focus group data. Qual Health Res 5(4):487–495

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Morgan DL, Krueger RA (1998) The focus groups kit. Sage, London

    Google Scholar 

  32. Riley BP, Kendler KS (2005) Schizophrenia: genetics. In: Sadock BJ, Sadock VA (eds) Kaplan & sadock’s comprehensive textbook of psychiatry, 8th edn. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  33. Pinfold V, Byrne P, Toulmin H (2005) Challenging stigma and discrimination in communities: a focus group study identifying UK mental health service users’ main campaign priorities. Int J Soc Psychiatry 51(2):128–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Wahl O (1999) Mental health consumers’ experience of stigma. Schizophrenia Bull 25(3):467–478

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Dickerson FB, Sommerville J, Origoni AE, Ringel NB, Parente F (2002) Experiences of stigma among outpatients with Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bull 28(1):143–155

    Google Scholar 

  36. Angermeyer MC, Schulze B (2001) Reducing the stigma of Schizophrenia: understanding the process and options for interventions. Epidemiol Psichiat Soc 10(1):1–5

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Angermeyer MC, Lóffler W, Múller P, Schulze B, Priebe S (2001) Patients’ and relatives’ assessment of Clozapine treatment. Psychol Med 31(3):509–517

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Penn DL, Kohlmaier JR, Corrigan PW (2000) Interpersonal factors contributing to the stigma of Schizophrenia: social skills, perceived attractiveness, and symptoms. Schizophr Res 45:37–45

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Corrigan PW, Markowitz FE, Watson AC (2004) Structural levels of mental illness stigma and discrimination. Schizophrenia Bull 30(3):481–491

    Google Scholar 

  40. Stout P, Villegas J, Jennings NA (2004) Images of mental illness in the media: identifying gaps in the research. Schizophrenia Bull 30(3):543–561

    Google Scholar 

  41. Cohen J, Struening EL (1962) Opinions about mental illness in the personnel of two large mental hospitals. J Abnorm Soc Psychol 64:349–360

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Angermeyer MC, Schulze B, Dietrich S (2003) Courtesy stigma. A focus group study of relatives of Schizophrenic patients.. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 38:593–602

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Link BG, Struening E, Rahav M, Phelan JC, Nuttbrock L (1997) On stigma and its consequences: evidence from a longitudinal study of men with dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse. J Health Soc Behav 38(6):177–190

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This study has been performed with the support of a grant from the Basque Government’s Department of Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Neuroscience, Basque Country University, Bilbao, Spain

    Miguel Angel González-Torres & Jose Guimon

  2. Psychiatry Service, Basurto Hospital, Avda. Montevideo 18, 48013, Bilbao, Spain

    Miguel Angel González-Torres, Rodrigo Oraa, Maialen Arístegui & Aranzazu Fernández-Rivas

Authors
  1. Miguel Angel González-Torres
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rodrigo Oraa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Maialen Arístegui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Aranzazu Fernández-Rivas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jose Guimon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miguel Angel González-Torres.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

González-Torres, M.A., Oraa, R., Arístegui, M. et al. Stigma and discrimination towards people with schizophrenia and their family members. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 14–23 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0126-3

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0126-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation