Conference paper
THINKING OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AS “NORMAL” ILLNESS Data from a questionnaire on social stigma: a multicenter study
Maurilio GM Tavormina
; Mental Health Department, Naples, Italy
Giuseppe Tavormina
; Psychiatric Studies Centre (Cen.Stu.Psi.), Brescia, Italy
Eugenio Nemoianni
; Mental Health Department, Naples, Italy
Francesco Franza
; Neuropsychiatric Center “Villa dei Pini”, Avellino, Italy
Immacolata d’Errico
; Centro di Psichiatria e di Psicoterapia, Bari, Italy
Maria Grazia Spurio
; ISP (Ist. Studio e Ricerca Psicoterapie Strategiche Brevi), Roma, Italy
Romina Tavormina
; Studio di Psicologia, Naples, Italy
Nicolas Zdanowicz
; Université Catholique de Louvain, Medicine Faculty, Psychopathology and Psychosomatic unit, Yvoir, Belgium
Stephanie De Mesmaeker
; Université Catholique de Louvain, Medicine Faculty, Psychopathology and Psychosomatic unit, Yvoir, Belgium
Judit Harangozó
; Semmelweis University of Medicine, Center of Psychiatric Community, Budapest, Hungary
Anna Nyulászi
; Semmelweis University of Medicine, Center of Psychiatric Community, Budapest, Hungary
Tünde Bulyáki
; ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
Ivan Urlic
; Medical School, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Andrea Russo
; Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Mark Agius
; Clare College Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge, UK
Abstract
Prejudice and stigma about mental illness is still present in society. Patients suffer both from the disease, and from the
marginalization behavior exhibited by others towards them and their families. Psychiatric professionals may also become ill and
suffer for the same reason. The authors of this international multicenter study have set themselves the question of whether there may
be prejudice and/or stigma among psychiatric professionals towards their suffering colleagues, among patients towards nursing staff
affected by the same disease and between patients themselves. Using two standardized questionnaires which have been tested, but
have not been used before they have studied 207 mental health professionals and 407 patients, of Italian, Belgian, Hungarian and
Croatian nationalities. The results show that there are in fact prejudices among Mental Health Professionals about colleagues
suffering from mental illness because they responded that such persons cannot treat well patients with their own pathology. However
Mental Health Professionals do not demonstrate behaviors which are not frankly marginalizing or stigmatizing towards colleagues
suffering from mental illness. On the other hand, among patients the prevailing view was that psychiatric professionals who suffer
from mental illness, can better understand the sick, because they are also suffering. This is in analogy with the Jungian theory of the
"wounded healer" in the myth of the centaur Chiron. Patients did not demonstate rejection or marginalization behavior towards
other sick patients. Finally both the professionals and the patients tend to be cautious in relating to healthy persons and tend not to
disclose their suffering for fear of being misjudged or marginalized.
Keywords
social stigma; mental illness; questionnaire; psychiatric professionals; psychiatric patients
Hrčak ID:
264915
URI
Publication date:
30.8.2016.
Visits: 493 *