Experiences of Self-Stigma in People with Chronic Psychosis: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

We present the results of a phenomenological study understanding the personal meaning of self-stigma in people with chronic psychosis. Self-stigma is a frequent phenomenon in the lives of people with psychosis and their families and it functions as a barrier to recovery. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with fourteen outpatients that suffer from chronic psychosis during January 2020. Data analysis was carried out using an inductive approach as described by Graneheim and Lundman through the MAXQDA 2022 program. The themes observed were: “Contextual Stigma”, “Components of Self-Stigma”, “Skills Loss” and “Coping with Self-Stigma”. The main categories and subcategories were avoidance and escape behaviours from their social environment, labelling, loss of social relationships, negative impact and self-concealment of the diagnosis. Our results revealed influence on each other, forming a looping effect that explains and amplifies the lived experience of self-stigma. These findings highlight the need to implement strategies in nursing practice aimed at training the acceptance and distancing necessary to minimize the impact of self-stigma on people with chronic psychosis. This study adheres to the EQUATOR guidelines for the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ).