The power to resist: The relationship between power, stigma, and negative symptoms in schizophrenia

Abstract

Stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness can be a daily struggle for people with schizophrenia. While investigations into the impact of internalizing stigma on negative symptoms have yielded mixed results, resistance to stigmatizing beliefs has received little attention. In this study, we examined the linkage between internalized stigma, stigma resistance, negative symptoms, and social power, or perceived ability to influence others during social interactions among people with schizophrenia. Further, we sought to determine whether resistance to stigma would be bolstered by social power, with greater power in relationships with other possibly buffering against motivation/pleasure negative symptoms. Fifty-one people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed measures of social power, internalized stigma, and stigma resistance. Negative symptoms were assessed using the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS). Greater social power was associated with less internalized stigma and negative symptoms as well as more stigma resistance. Further, the relationship between social power and negative symptoms was partially mediated by stigma resistance. These findings provide evidence for the role of stigma resistance as a viable target for psychosocial interventions aimed at improving motivation and social power in people with schizophrenia.

Stigma resistance is positively associated with psychiatric and psychosocial outcomes: A meta-analysis

“…As a result, some research on self-stigma using the ISMIS calculates a self-stigma score that excludes Stigma Resistance subscale or examines this sub-scale separately (Lysaker et al, 2012;MashiachEizenberg et al, 2013;Park et al, 2013). More recent studies have examined the item loadings of the ISMIS and conclude that the Stigma Resistance items comprise a distinct factor from the remainder of the ISMIS, and recent studies have also demonstrated adequate reliability of this sub-scale in samples with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (Campellone et al, 2014;Nabors et al, 2014). Next, while the Positive Aspects subscale scores of the Stigma Scale have shown adequate reliability (King et al, 2007), it remains infrequently used.…”

Insight and Self-Stigma in Patients With Schizophrenia

“…Since patients included in this research were post-acute, this can explain this correlation 17,18 . There was no correlation between stigma resistance subscale and insight, which implies that this subscale is related to some other variables yet to be determined 19,20 . There were several limitations to the study important to consider.…”

Wickedness in Design of e-Health Systems for People Diagnosed with Schizophrenia

“…When the context is sensitive, as in this paper, there is a risk to the participants' welfare. The participants' wellbeing may be affected, and if the information on their participation would be made public, they can suffer social consequences due to the stigmatization of mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia [14]. During the interviews, the relatives of people with schizophrenia expressed concern that if their participation became known, it would negatively affect their children.…”

“…Designing an e-health system for people diagnosed with schizophrenia means encountering contradictory and sensitive problems that affect the design situation, such as paranoia and delusions [8], and social stigmatisation [13,14]. These types of problems that are contradictory, incomplete or have constantly changing requirements, have previously been referred to as "wicked problems" [cf.…”