Self-stigma and its Relation with Social Functioning among Patients with Schizophrenia at Psychiatric Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

The study aims to assess the level of self-stigma perceived by patients with schizophrenia at psychiatric teaching hospitals in Baghdad city with find out the significant differences regarding self-stigma and patients’ age, and identify the correlation between self-stigma and social functioning .A descriptive correlational design was conducted on a convenient (non-probability) sample of (80) patients with schizophrenia which were selected from the consultation outpatient clinics for two psychiatric teaching hospitals in Baghdad city for the period of (December 16th, 2020 to March 20th, 2021).

       The Self-report questionnaire used as the instrument of the study and constructed through stigma scale and social functioning questionnaire after modified for the purpose of this study. The results of data analysis through the application of descriptive statistical data analysis approach by using statistical package for social science program (IBM SPSS) version 24 that found  48.8% of patients are perceive moderate level of self-stigma (M±SD= 83.93±27.394) and 22.5% are perceive high level of self-stigma and patients with age group of 40 – 49 years and older have higher level of perceived self-stigma than other age group evidenced by significant difference at p-value= .038 and significant strong positive correlation between perceived self-stigma and social functioning among patients with schizophrenia at p-value=.001 respectively. The researcher recommended to successful anti-stigma programs can help people receiving psychiatric care have better social functioning through social media.