Stigma and its Relation to Self-Concept among Patients with Mental Disorders

Abd ElRahman Rabea, Asmaa; Mohamed Mourad, Ghada; Sayed Mohamed, Hoda

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2023.282510

Stigma and its Relation to Self-Concept among Patients with Mental Disorders

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Demonstrator faculty of nursing fayoum university

² Professor Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing Ain Shams University

³ lecturer of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing Ain Shams University

10.21608/ejhc.2023.282510

Abstract

Background: People living with mental illness are facing many problems regarding their
illness and stigma which consequently affect their self-concept. Aim: This study aimed to assess the
stigma and its relation to self-concept among patients with mental disorders. Design: A descriptive
correlational research design was utilized in this study. Setting: This study was carried out in the
outpatient clinic of the mental health hospital, affiliated to AlFayoum University Hospitals...
Subjects: This study was conducted on 246 patients with mental disorders. Sample type: Purposive
sample was recruited for this study. Data collection tools: Data were obtained through three tools; 1)
Interviewing Questionnaire to assess socio-demographic data and medical history of the patients
with mental illness, 2) The internalized stigma of mental illness inventory, and 3) Self–concept
Questionnaire. Results: this study revealed that, nearly three quarter of the studied sample (74.8%)
experienced stigma, 46.3% of them had fair self-concept and more than third of them 36.6 had low
self-concept, however there were statistical significance relation between stigma and levels of self–
concept and the most affected domain was self-criticism. Conclusion: this study results concluded
that, the majority of the studied sample experienced stigma, and less than half of them had fair self-
concept, more than third of them had low self-concept, and there were statistical significance
relation between stigma and total levels of self–concept. Recommendations: There is an urgent
need for developing and implementing strategies to fight stigma associated with mental disorders
which consequently affect their self-concept.

Keywords