Relationship between personality and self-stigma in mixed neurotic spectrum and depressive disorders – cross sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Self-stigma is a maladaptive psychosocial phenomenon affecting a considerable part of psychiatric patients. Nevertheless, not everyone with mental health issues internalizes societal stigma. The goal of the study was to identify psychological features significantly connected to the presence of self-stigma. METHOD: 76 neurotic inpatients undergoing a six-week hospitalization in the psychotherapeutic department attended the study. The probands completed following questionnaires at the beginning of the treatment – ISMI (Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale), TCI-R (Temperament and Character Inventory, revised version), ADHS (Adult Dispositional Hope Scale), DES (Dissociative Experiences Scale), BAI (Beck Anxiety Scale), BDIII (Beck Depression Scale, second edition), and CGI (Clinical Global Impression, both the subjective and objective versions). Descriptive statistics processed the scales scores, t-tests, correlations, linear regression, and backward stepwise regression. RESULTS: The overall level of self-stigma in the neurotic patients with possible comorbid depression significantly correlated with several psychological features. Self-stigma significantly positively correlated with the harm avoidance trait, the symptoms of dissociation, anxiety, and depression, and the overall level of psychopathology measured by objCGI and subjCGI. It also significantly negatively correlated with the persistence and self-directedness traits and hope and its subscales – pathway thinking and agency. After applying backward stepwise regression, only three of the mentioned factors predicted the level of self-stigma – self-directedness, hope, and the subjective evaluation of own mental state. Other factors were suppressed during the analysis. CONCLUSION: Patients with more severe psychopathology show larger tendencies to stigmatize themselves. Also low self-directedness and lack of hope are typical for individuals with higher levels of self-stigma. These personality characteristics are affected by self-stigma and play a significant role in the efficacy of both the pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment of neuroses. Thus, the issue of self-stigma requires our attention and needs to be addressed in the treatment.