Psychiatric Illness and Family Stigma

TLDR

Stigmatization of people with mental illness has been well documented, and recent evidence shows it also adversely affects families, yet empirical studies on family stigma are scarce. The study aimed to assess how parents and spouses of first‑admission psychiatric patients perceive and react to stigma. Researchers surveyed 156 parents and spouses from a population‑based sample of first‑admission psychiatric patients. Half of the family members concealed their relative’s hospitalization, and family stigma was associated with illness characteristics, family social factors, and was more pronounced when members did not co‑live with the patient, the patient was female, had milder positive symptoms, had recent episodes, or the family member had higher education.

Abstract

Considerable research has documented the stigmatization of people with mental illnesses and its negative consequences. Recently it has been shown that stigma may also seriously affect families of psychiatric patients, but little empirical research has addressed this problem. We examine perceptions of and reactions to stigma among 156 parents and. spouses of a population-based sample of first-admission psychiatric patients. While most family members did not perceive themselves as being avoided by others because of their relative's hospitalization, half reported concealing the hospitalization at least to some degree. Both the characteristics of the mental illness (the stigmatizing mark) and the social characteristics of the family were significantly related to levels of family stigma. Family mem bers were more likely to conceal the mental illness if they did not live with their ill relative, if the relative was female, and if the relative had less severe positive symptoms. Family members with more education and whose relative had experienced an episode of illness within the past 6 months reported greater avoidance by others.