Citation

Richard-Lepouriel H, Favre S, Jermann F, Aubry JM. Community Ment. Health J. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10597-020-00614-7

PMID

32266548

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated subjective experiences of self-stigmatization and self-destigmatization among people living with bipolar disorder (BD). We conducted in-depth interviews focusing on self-stigmatization and self-destigmatization with 22 individuals living with BD. The interview transcripts were thematically analyzed using a mixed inductive and deductive approach. Thirty-six codes were extracted and organized into six themes: language, behaviors, relationships, personal experience, identity, and healthcare. Each theme was characterized by an evolution process, and the codes were distributed in a step-by-step order as landmarks. The process begins with the experience of self-stigmatization, and develops toward self-destigmatization. This study presents a new six-dimension process called the "self-destigmatization process" (SDP), a personal and interrelational process that deconstructs self-stigmatization. Clinicians can use the landmarks of the process for clinical assessment and therapeutic interventions to increase recovery orientation.

Language: en