Experience of stigmatization by relatives of patients with obsessive compulsive disorder

Patients with mental illness and their relatives experience discrimination and stigmatization in their everyday lives. The stigma of mental illness has been investigated in numerous studies. However, the subjective experiences of patients with OCD and their relatives have not been reported up until now. Narrative interviews with 22 family members of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder were performed as part of a study on the burden and distress among the families of those with mental illness. Stigma experiences were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Different areas of life could be described, where stigmatization is anticipated or concretely experienced by relatives of patients with OCD. Concealing is an important coping strategy for the family members interviewed. Stigmatization can be reduced by handling the illness and the co-operation of patients, their relatives, and the professionals in an unbiased manner.