The bipolar patients’ family experiences of the outcomes of encountering stigma in Tehran: A qualitative study

Abstract

Introduction: Nowadays, the most common psychological-social pressure to which bipolar patients’ families are exposed is stigma. Therefore, the present study was conducted to delve into the bipolar patients’ family experiences of the outcomes of encountering stigma. Method: The study was of qualitative type. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants from the persons suffering from bipolar disorder and their families. Twenty seven of the participants were interviewed. The main data collection instrument was semi-structured interview with open questions. Additionally, the collected data were analyzed via inductive content analysis method. The accuracy and validity of the study rooted in four factors: credibility, transferability, verifiability, and reliability. Results: Data analysis led to 1,326 primary codes, which were further categorized into five main categories as the main outcomes of encountering stigma (social deprivation, emotional and sentimental excitement, objective and behavioral reflections, family solidarity threat, and separation from society) and 21 sub-categories. Conclusion: Given then irreparable outcomes of stigma for bipolar patients’ family, it is necessary to take it into consideration. It is recommended to use media and also hygienic-treatment centers to educate different levels of society as to appropriate treatment with these patients and their families.

Stigma in people living with bipolar disorder and their families: a systematic review

“…Social stigma is the most devastating when the bipolar patients and their families accept it and internalized the negative views of the community, a phenomenon called internalized or emotional stigma. This is consistent with the findings of Bruni, Sharma, Wong, Bassirnia, Park, Grover, Ando and Leporil (Bruni et al 2018 ; Sharma et al, 2017 ; Wong et al 2009 ; Bassirnia et al 2015 ; Park et al, 2014 ; Latifian et al 2022a , b , c ; Grover et al 2019 ; Ando et al 2013 ; Richard-Lepouriel et al 2021 ).…”

“…Stigma impairs people’s quality of life and leads to their isolation and rejection of interpersonal relationships. The rejection from society and low self-esteem, following the fear of rejection, weakens living conditions, reduces income, and causes unemployment for people with bipolar disorders (Connell et al 2014 ; Latifian et al 2022a , b , c ).…”

“…Stigma is also common among families of people living with bipolar disorder. The parents of such patients, reprimanding by ordinary and professional people, look for the causes of the disease and experience issues such as guilt attribution and social exclusion due to having a family member with such disorder (Koschorke et al 2014 ; Latifian et al 2022a , b , c ; McCann et al 2011 ). Family stigma contributes to decreased self-esteem, sleep disorders, decreased psychological well-being, and reduced quality of life (Wong et al 2009 ).…”

“…The increasing experience of stigma in people living with bipolar disorders and their families, as well as the significant role of psychological and social interventions in reducing the stigma of this disease, make it more necessary to pay attention to the various dimensions of this phenomenon (Latifian et al 2022a , b , c ). So far, a number of review articles have been done in the field of stigma in bipolar disorder.…”

The process of stigma experience in the families of people living with bipolar disorder: a grounded theory study

“…There is a culture of collectivism in Iran that emphasises collectivist norms and interdependent self-concept; as a result, family members of people living with bipolar disorder are more concerned with how others view the family than with the negative impact of the disorder on themselves [ 32 , 33 ]. To date, in Iran, no study has comprehensively investigated the process of stigma formation and experience in the families of people living with bipolar disorder.…”