[StigMa--The Development of the Therapy Program Stigma Management]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Self-stigmatization is a significant issue in mental health treatment, often overlooked compared to external stigma.
• Existing treatment programs primarily focus on external stigmatization, neglecting the internalised negative self-perceptions of patients.
• There is a need for targeted interventions to address self-stigmatization and improve patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a therapeutic manual for managing self-stigmatization in individuals with mental illness.
• To assess patients' experiences and needs regarding self-stigmatization as experts in their own condition.
• To inform the design of a comprehensive "Stigma Management" program.

Main Methods:

• Focus groups were conducted with 17 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.
• Discussions centered on the lived experiences and needs related to self-stigmatization.
• The documentary method by Bohnsack was employed for qualitative analysis of the focus group data.

Main Results:

• Ten distinct topics emerged from the analysis, providing insight into patients' perspectives on self-stigmatization.
• Key themes identified include prejudice, the role of self-help groups, the importance of openness, and public relations strategies.
• These findings highlight crucial areas for intervention and support.

Conclusions:

• The "Stigma Management" program was developed in phase 2, based on the ten identified topics.
• The program aims to provide a structured approach to addressing self-stigmatization.
• Phase 3 will involve the evaluation of the program's efficacy.