Abstract
The current study explored the self-experience of persons with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) by investigating the associations between different insight and self-stigma clusters, self-clarity, hope, recovery, and functioning. One hundred seven persons diagnosed with a SMI were administered six scales: self-concept clarity, self-stigma, insight into the illness, hope, recovery, and functioning. Correlations and cluster analyses were performed. Insight, as measured by a self-report scale was not related to any other variable. Self-stigma was negatively associated with self-clarity, hope, recovery and functioning. Three clusters emerged: moderate stigma/high insight (n=31), high stigma/moderate insight (n=28), and low stigma/low insight (n=42). The group with low stigma and low insight had higher mean levels of self-clarity and hope than the other two groups. There were no significant differences between cluster 1 (moderate stigma/high insight) and cluster 2 (high stigma/moderate insight) in all the variables beside self-clarity. The group with moderate stigma and high insight had significantly higher mean levels of self-clarity than the group with high stigma and moderate insight. Results reveal that when people diagnosed with SMI do not have high levels of self-stigma they often report a positive and clear sense of self accompanied with hope, regardless of having low insight.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 308-313 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Psychiatry Research |
Volume | 240 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 30 Jun 2016 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
Keywords
- Insight
- Self-clarity
- Self-stigma
- Severe mental illness
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Biological Psychiatry