Interventions to Reduce Internalized Stigma in individuals with Mental Illness: A Systematic Review

Alonso, M.B. Martínez; Guillén, Ana Isabel; Múñoz, Manuel

doi:10.1017/sjp.2019.9

Cited by 65 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This might also be the case with individuals on sick leave. A supporting social network along with the development of personal goals for recovery have been found to be protective factors to reduce self-stigma [33]. Having social support that encourages the individual to maintain their personal goals and values during the sick leave and rehabilitation process may facilitate a positive transformation towards the heroic end of the scale.…”

Section: Transformative Narrativesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work ethics and societal norms influence sick leave and return to work: tales of transformation

Moldvik

Ståhl

Müssener

2020

Disability and Rehabilitation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: This study's purpose was to explore how people on sick leave manage societal norms and values related to work, and how these influence their perspectives of themselves throughout the rehabilitation process. Materials and methods: This was a longitudinal interview study with a narrative approach, comprising 38 interviews with 11 individuals on long-term sick leave. Data collection was conducted in two phases and analysed iteratively through content analysis. Results: The results suggest that work ethics and societal norms influence individuals' views of themselves and the sick leave and rehabilitation process. Conforming one's personal values to the work norm can create internal conflicts and cause feelings of shame for not being able to live up to the established norm. The strong work norm may create unrealistic expectations, which in some cases may result in constraining the return to work process. Conclusion: To transform a sick leave narrative into a positive one, societal norms and their influence on identity needs to be recognised. Stakeholders involved in the process can contribute to a positive transformation by not only supporting return to work, but also to acknowledge and help people manage their self-image as having a disability that limits their ability to work. ä IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Stakeholders involved in the sick leave and rehabilitation process need to support sick listed individuals by acknowledging and helping people manage their self-image. Full RTW is not always the best option from a quality of life and wellbeing perspective. Treatment and support from stakeholders should be viewed as meaningful and legitimate, even if it does not lead to RTW.

show abstract

Section: Transformative Narrativesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work ethics and societal norms influence sick leave and return to work: tales of transformation

Moldvik

Ståhl

Müssener

2020

Disability and Rehabilitation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The clients were also aware of self-stigmatization and its effect on how they perceive other people’s attitudes towards themselves (Ext. 9–11) [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Some even implied that the experiences of marginalization can arise from self-shame that is projected onto others rather than inflicted by others (11).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are challenged both by their health issues and by others’ attitudes and prejudices toward their illness [ 10 ]. The notion of self-stigma refers to an individual’s negative beliefs about the self, caused by the process of an individual with mental illness internalizing the stigmatizing ideas of society [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ] (for self-stigma and concealable minorities, see [ 14 ]). Internalized stigma can manifest, for example, as the so-called “why try” effect [ 15 ].…”

Section: Mental Illness and Stigmamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Tensions and Paradoxes of Stigma: Discussing Stigma in Mental Health Rehabilitation

Paananen

Lindholm

Stevanovic

et al. 2020

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mental illness remains as one of the most stigmatizing conditions in contemporary western societies. This study sheds light on how mental health professionals and rehabilitants perceive stigmatization. The qualitative study is based on stimulated focus group interviews conducted in five Finnish mental health rehabilitation centers that follow the Clubhouse model. The findings were analyzed through inductive content analysis. Both the mental health rehabilitants and the professionals perceived stigmatization as a phenomenon that concerns the majority of rehabilitants. However, whereas the professionals viewed stigma as something that is inflicted upon the mentally ill from the outside, the rehabilitants perceived stigma as something that the mentally ill themselves can influence by advancing their own confidence, shame management, and recovery. Improvements in treatment, along with media coverage, were seen as the factors that reduce stigmatization, but the same conceptualization did not hold for serious mental illnesses. As the average Clubhouse client was thought to be a person with serious mental illness, the rehabilitation context designed to normalize attitudes toward mental health problems was paradoxically perceived to enforce the concept of inevitable stigma. Therefore, it is important for professionals in rehabilitation communities to be reflexively aware of these tensions when supporting the rehabilitants.

show abstract

“…When these attitudes or prejudices are internalized by people, self-stigma or internalized stigma arises [ 20 ], which in many cases leads to a reduction in self-esteem, self-efficacy, empowerment and hope, and also an increase in symptoms and reductions in treatment adherence or other activities that involve relating to others [ 21 ]. Since self-stigma has a negative influence on some important aspects of the recovery process, and makes it difficult to achieve personal functioning, hope or full participation in the community [ 22 , 23 ], different specific interventions have been developed to reduce self-stigma [ 24 , 25 ]. Considering the importance given to internalized stigma and its relationship with dimensions related to personal recovery [ 25 ] and symptoms [ 21 ], it would be useful to clarify the role that this variable might play when both perspectives of recovery are taken into account.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discrepancy between experience and importance of recovery components in the symptomatic and recovery perceptions of people with severe mental disorders

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Personal recovery has become an increasingly important approach in the care of people with severe mental disorders and consequently in the orientation of mental health services. The objective of this study was to assess the personal recovery process in people using mental health services, and to clarify the role of variables such as symptomatology, self-stigma, sociodemographic and treatment. Methods Standardised measures of personal recovery process, clinical recovery, and internalized stigma were completed by a sample of 312 participants in a Severe Mental Disorder program. Results Users valued most the recovery elements of: improving general health and wellness; having professionals who care; hope; and sense of meaning in life. Significant discrepancies between perceived experience and relative importance assigned to each of the components of the REE were observed. Regression modeling (χ2 = 6.72, p = .394; GFI = .99, SRMR = .03) identified how positive discrepancies were associated with a higher presence of recovery markers (β = .12, p = .05), which in turn were negatively related to the derived symptomatology index (β = −.33, p < .001). Furthermore, the relationship between clinical and personal recovery was mediated by internalized stigma. Conclusions An improvement in psychiatric services should be focused on recovery aspects that have the greatest discrepancy between importance and experience, in particular social roles, basic needs and hope. Personal and clinical recovery are correlated, but the relationship between them is mediated by internalized stigma, indicating the need for clinical interventions to target self-stigma.

show abstract

Interventions to Reduce Internalized Stigma in individuals with Mental Illness: A Systematic Review

Cited by 65 publications

References 38 publications

Work ethics and societal norms influence sick leave and return to work: tales of transformation

Work ethics and societal norms influence sick leave and return to work: tales of transformation

Tensions and Paradoxes of Stigma: Discussing Stigma in Mental Health Rehabilitation

Discrepancy between experience and importance of recovery components in the symptomatic and recovery perceptions of people with severe mental disorders

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About