Self Stigma among People with Bipolar-I Disorder in Iran

Psychiatric stigma refers to systemic and internalized stereotypical negative attitudes against individual with mental illness. This article describes the level of self stigma, stereotype endorsement and perceived discrimination experienced by patients with Bipolar- I disorder in Tehran. Methods: Data were collected from a total of 126 patients with Bipolar-- I disorder who responded to acute phase treatment using the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale. The ISMI scale has five subscales: Alienation, Stereotype Endorsement, Perceived Discrimination, Social Withdrawal and Stigma Resistance. Results: In this study 26.7% of participants reported moderate to high levels of self stigma, 57.49% moderate to high levels of stigma resistance and 18.3% moderate to high levels of Perceived discrimination. Discussion: The results suggest that, self stigma appears in over one fifth of individuals with Bipolar-- I disorder in Iran. The symptoms of Bipolar-- I disorder have profound impacts on the quality of life of affected patients. Psychosocial functioning and self-esteem is impaired in people with Bipolar-- I disorder. Interventions are required to reduce the negative effects of internalized stigma in this group.