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Self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment
BACKGROUND: In addition to economic and material burdens, caregivers of people with mental illness are exposed to psychosocial challenges. Self-stigma is among the psychological challenges that can be exacerbated by intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors. Caregivers’ self-stigma can negatively influence...
Autores principales: | , , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Dove Medical Press
2014
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3896287/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24470760 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S57259 |
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author | Girma, Eshetu Möller-Leimkühler, Anne Maria Dehning, Sandra Mueller, Norbert Tesfaye, Markos Froeschl, Guenter |
author_facet | Girma, Eshetu Möller-Leimkühler, Anne Maria Dehning, Sandra Mueller, Norbert Tesfaye, Markos Froeschl, Guenter |
author_sort | Girma, Eshetu |
collection | PubMed |
description | BACKGROUND: In addition to economic and material burdens, caregivers of people with mental illness are exposed to psychosocial challenges. Self-stigma is among the psychological challenges that can be exacerbated by intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors. Caregivers’ self-stigma can negatively influence the patients’ treatment and rehabilitation process. The objective of this study was to measure the level and correlates of self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness. METHODS: An interviewer-administered cross-sectional study was conducted in the Jimma University Specialized Hospital Psychiatry Clinic in Ethiopia on a sample of 422 caregivers. Data were collected by trained nurses working in the clinic using a pretested questionnaire. Multivariate linear regression was performed to identify the correlates of self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness. RESULTS: The majority (70.38%) of the caregivers were male. On a scale of 0 to 15, with 0 being low and 15 being high, the average self-stigmatizing attitude score was 4.68 (±4.11). A statistically significant difference in mean self-stigma score was found between urban and rural respondents (t=3.95, P<0.05). Self-stigma of caregivers showed significant positive correlation with perceived signs of mental illness (r=0.18, P<0.001), perceived supernatural explanations of mental illness (r=0.26, P<0.001), and perceived psychosocial and biological explanations of mental illness (r=0.12, P<0.01). The only independent predictor of caregivers’ self-stigma was perceived supernatural explanation of mental illness (standardized β=0.22, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The tendency of caregivers to avoid being identified with the patients was observed. Low exposure to mental health information was also reported. Caregivers’ self-stigma in this study was significantly correlated with perceived supernatural explanation of mental illness. Since caregivers’ self-stigma may negatively influence patients’ treatment-seeking, adherence, and rehabilitation processes, programs that enhance coping strategies by strengthening self-esteem and empowerment by health care providers and establish family support groups may be helpful to tackle self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-3896287 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2014 |
publisher | Dove Medical Press |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-38962872014-01-27 Self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment Girma, Eshetu Möller-Leimkühler, Anne Maria Dehning, Sandra Mueller, Norbert Tesfaye, Markos Froeschl, Guenter J Multidiscip Healthc Original Research BACKGROUND: In addition to economic and material burdens, caregivers of people with mental illness are exposed to psychosocial challenges. Self-stigma is among the psychological challenges that can be exacerbated by intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors. Caregivers’ self-stigma can negatively influence the patients’ treatment and rehabilitation process. The objective of this study was to measure the level and correlates of self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness. METHODS: An interviewer-administered cross-sectional study was conducted in the Jimma University Specialized Hospital Psychiatry Clinic in Ethiopia on a sample of 422 caregivers. Data were collected by trained nurses working in the clinic using a pretested questionnaire. Multivariate linear regression was performed to identify the correlates of self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness. RESULTS: The majority (70.38%) of the caregivers were male. On a scale of 0 to 15, with 0 being low and 15 being high, the average self-stigmatizing attitude score was 4.68 (±4.11). A statistically significant difference in mean self-stigma score was found between urban and rural respondents (t=3.95, P<0.05). Self-stigma of caregivers showed significant positive correlation with perceived signs of mental illness (r=0.18, P<0.001), perceived supernatural explanations of mental illness (r=0.26, P<0.001), and perceived psychosocial and biological explanations of mental illness (r=0.12, P<0.01). The only independent predictor of caregivers’ self-stigma was perceived supernatural explanation of mental illness (standardized β=0.22, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The tendency of caregivers to avoid being identified with the patients was observed. Low exposure to mental health information was also reported. Caregivers’ self-stigma in this study was significantly correlated with perceived supernatural explanation of mental illness. Since caregivers’ self-stigma may negatively influence patients’ treatment-seeking, adherence, and rehabilitation processes, programs that enhance coping strategies by strengthening self-esteem and empowerment by health care providers and establish family support groups may be helpful to tackle self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness. Dove Medical Press 2014-01-15 /pmc/articles/PMC3896287/ /pubmed/24470760 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S57259 Text en © 2014 Girma et al. This work is published by Dove Medical Press Limited, and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. |
spellingShingle | Original Research Girma, Eshetu Möller-Leimkühler, Anne Maria Dehning, Sandra Mueller, Norbert Tesfaye, Markos Froeschl, Guenter Self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment |
title | Self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment |
title_full | Self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment |
title_fullStr | Self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment |
title_full_unstemmed | Self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment |
title_short | Self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment |
title_sort | self-stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness: toward caregivers’ empowerment |
topic | Original Research |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3896287/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24470760 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S57259 |
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