ABSTRACT
The aim of present study was to explore relationships between experienced and anticipated discrimination, internalized stigma, and empowerment among people with physical disabilities in Serbia. The convenience sample consisted of persons with different types of physical disabilities. The following scales were administrated: The Discrimination and Stigma Scale, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale, and the Boston University Empowerment Scale. An analysis showed that internalized stigma was correlated with experienced and anticipated discrimination and empowerment, while no correlation was found between empowerment and discrimination. People with physical disabilities who experienced and anticipated discrimination are at higher risk of reporting internalized stigma.
Subject(s)
Disabled Persons/psychology , Empowerment , Prejudice/psychology , Social Stigma , Stereotyping , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Serbia , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Experiences of discrimination have significant impact on the lives of people with mental illness. AIM: This study investigates the nature and severity of experienced and anticipated discrimination reported by persons with a depressive disorder in Serbia. METHODS: Patients were recruited from two psychiatric day hospitals and a primary mental health service with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Interviews were conducted using a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Discrimination and Stigma Scale. RESULTS: The respondents experienced discrimination mostly in the field of family relationships, making and keeping friends and keeping a job. In domains of making close personal relationships or applying for education, anticipated discrimination was higher than experienced. The need to conceal mental health problems was stronger than experiences of being avoided. The need to hide mental health problems was higher than the overall score for experienced discrimination. Participants who were hospitalized in some period of life reported higher experienced discrimination. Compared to younger participants, older participants experienced more negative as well as positive discrimination. Married participants experienced more negative discrimination than unmarried. CONCLUSION: It is important to design interventions to overcome discrimination toward persons with depression at all levels.
Subject(s)
Anticipation, Psychological , Depressive Disorder, Major/psychology , Discrimination, Psychological , Social Stigma , Stereotyping , Adult , Female , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Male , Middle Aged , Prejudice , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Regression Analysis , Serbia , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Family members experience stigma via their connection with the affected member. Family stigma contains stereotypes of blame, shame and contamination. AIM: To establish the tendency towards stigmatization of family members of a person with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) by a sample of the general public of Belgrade. METHODS: The sample encompassed 181 participants, of various ages and levels of education, and of different, self-assessed levels of knowledge about autism. The structure of stigmatization of family members of a person with ASD was explored applying the Family Stigma Questionnaire (FSQ) and the Level of Familiarity Questionnaire (LFQ). RESULTS: Analysis of the obtained results established that scores indicating the tendency towards stigmatization were most pronounced for variables connected to blame for deterioration of the condition of the person with autism, contamination of the individual family members by the condition, and to feeling pity for family members of a person with ASD. Statistically significant differences were established when the FSQ scores stigmatizing parents and siblings were compared. Significant differences in stigmatizing stereotypes were established according to gender and level of education, and according to the self-assessment of knowledge about autism and the level of previous contact to persons with mental disorders. CONCLUSION: Anti-stigma programmes are important especially bearing in mind that participants who self-evaluated as having the least knowledge about ASD demonstrated the highest tendency towards stigmatizing the parents of a person suffering from ASD, and those of lower education demonstrated the highest tendency towards stigmatizing the family members.
