Objective: Stigma has dampening effects on the overall rehabilitation of individuals given a diagnosis of schizophrenia. This study was an initial attempt to understand the relationship between cognitive insight and attribution in the development of self-stigma among this group of mental health consumers.
Methods: In a cross-sectional design, the investigators interviewed 162 mental health consumers with broad diagnoses of schizophrenia from 15 community-based psychiatric rehabilitation centers in Hong Kong. After controlling for the effects of demographic and illness-related factors, the authors used hierarchical multiple regression analysis to investigate the effects of cognitive insight and causal attribution on self-stigma.
Results: Better cognitive insight and attribution of personal responsibility to the cause of the illness were significantly associated with higher levels of self-stigma.
Conclusions: Given that awareness and interpretation of participants' illness were related to self-stigma, cognitive restructuring is needed to alleviate self-stigma among individuals with schizophrenia.