This article describes a study of 136 female intimate partner violence victims living in poverty in Nicaragua. The paper aimed to analyze the relationship between experiencing stressful life events (SLE) and perceived social support with suicide attempts, and to evaluate the differences in the SLE experienced by female suicide attempters versus non-attempters. The results showed the existence of a high level of SLE among the interviewees, and that women who have attempted suicide have experienced substantially more of these events. Experiences of violence and less social support were especially related to suicide attempts among the interviewees.
Internalized stigma has a high prevalence in people with mental health problems and is associated with negative consequences in different areas: work, social, personal, etc. Therefore, it is relevant to systematically study the characteristics and effectiveness of the different psychological and psychosocial interventions aimed at reducing it. Through the databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO, among others, controlled studies on specific interventions to reduce internalized stigma in people with severe mental disorders published between 2008 and 2018 were selected and reviewed. Results showed that the interventions can be grouped into four blocks: (a) psychoeducational interventions about stigma; (b) cognitive-behavioral interventions, mainly aimed at modifying self-stigmatizing beliefs; (c) interventions focused on the revelation of mental illness; and (d) multicomponent interventions that combine several of the above. The interventions had an average of 10 sessions and were predominantly applied in group format. In 9 of the 14 studies reviewed, significant results were obtained in the reduction of internalized stigma with small or moderate effect sizes. There were also significant improvements in other variables, such as subjective recovery or coping. The main methodological limitation of the studies reviewed was the absence of information on the rejection rate. We conclude that there are effective interventions aimed at reducing internalized stigma, with psychoeducational interventions on stigma and multicomponent interventions showing the best results. Cognitive-behavioral interventions and interventions based on disclosure have been studied to a lesser extent and their results are inconclusive. Future research should focus on establishing optimal interventions according to characteristics and objectives of individuals.
The main purpose of this study was the translation and analysis of psychometric properties of the Attribution Questionnaire for use in Spanish-speaking populations (AQ-27-E) and to test the dangerousness and responsibility models of mental illness stigma in a Spanish sample. The sample consisted of 439 adults from the general population of the community of Madrid (Spain). The questionnaire was translated using the translation/back-translation method. Cronbach's alpha was used to carry out the reliability analysis, and structural equations were used to test the dangerousness and the responsibility models of stigma. Internal reliability of AQ-27-E was .855, which can be interpreted as good. However, some factors (Pity, Responsibility, and Coercion) showed limited internal consistency. Results suggest that the AQ-27-E is a standardized instrument with acceptable psychometric properties comparable to previous versions, which can be used to assess stigma in Spanish-speaking populations.
The aim is to analyze the stigma associated with severe and persistent mental illness in the general population of the community of Madrid, Spain, as a first step to promote strategies to fight against it. Participants (n = 439) showed adequate general knowledge about mental illness, but a high degree of confusion with mental retardation. Stigmatizing attitudes focusing mainly on the disposition to help and on pity. Moreover, there were some perception of contamination and pity toward other family members. Psychosis seems to shows more stigma attitudes than cancer and depression, but less than cocaine addiction and AIDS.
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