Stigma and discrimination in close and intimate relationships due to schizophrenia

Abstract

Aim: The study is to examine the extent to which stigma and discrimination affect close and intimate relationships in persons with schizophrenia. Method: A combination of structured interview and Discrimination and Stigma Scale (DISC-10) was applied with 50 patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia. Altogether three questions from DISC-10 scale were related to dating and intimate relationships, two of them concerned with experiences of actual instants of unfair treatment on getting married or divorcing, and one with the anticipation of discrimination that brought to restraining from commencing or maintaining intimate relationship. Sample structure and the results: The sample of 50 participants consisted of 28 males and 22 females, mean age 43.4 years and SD 9.69. 43% of male and 36% of female sample participants were married, 28% of males and 45% of females were divorced, 50% of males and 27% of females have children, and 28% of males and 18% of females have never been married. Most of the participants live with their primary family or close relatives (60%). A considerable number of participants were treated differently to their disadvantage in regard their intimate relations (42%) and marriage or divorce (14%). Almost half of participants (46%) have been stopping themselves in looking for close personal relationship. Being given by the participants themselves the examples of experienced or anticipated discrimination enabled the qualitative analysis of answers as well. Conclusion: Schizophrenia impairs the ability for establishing and maintaining close and intimate relationships, with both actual discrimination and anticipated discrimination contributing to that.

Cilj: stigma i diskriminacija prema osobama sa mentalnom bolešću su česte. Mentalna bolest utiče značajno pa partnerske odnose. Ispitali smo u kojoj meri doživljena i anticipirana stigmatizacija i diskriminacija utiču na partnerske odnose. Metod: Na uzorku ispitanika sa dijagnozom shizofrenije primenjena je kombinacija skale procene (DISC-10) i strukturisanog intervjua. Tri pitanja ove skale povezana su sa partnerskim odnosima. Dva pitanja ispituju doživljenu diskriminaciju, a jedno anticipiranu diskriminaciju u oblasti partnerskih odnosa. U pitanjima se od ispitanika tražilo da navedu da li su se drugi ljudi, zbog dijagnoze mentalne bolesti, ponašali prema njima drugačije u intimnim odnosima, u sklapanju braka ili prilikom razvoda, i da li su oni, i u kojoj meri, sami sebe zaustavljali u započinjanju ili postavljanju bliskih odnosa. Struktura uzorka i rezultati: Uzorkom je obuhvaćeno 28 muškaraca i 22 žene, prosečnog uzrasta 43.4 godine (SD 9.69). U braku je 12 (43%) muškaraca i 8 (36%) žena, razvedeno je 8 (28%) muškaraca i 10 žena (45%), decu ima 14 (50%) muškaraca i 6 (27%) žena, nikada nije stupalo u brak 8 (28%) muškaraca i 4 (18%) žena. Većina (60%) živi sa roditeljima ili bliskim rođacima. 42% ispitanika izveštava o negativno doživljenoj diskriminaciji u oblasti intimnih odnosa, 14% u oblasti braka i razvoda. 46% ispitanika ukazuje na anticipiranu diskriminaciju u oblasti intimnih odnosa. Davanje primera doživljene ili anticipirane diskriminacije omogućilo je u kvalitativnu analizu odgovora. Zaključak: Mentalna bolest utiče na partnerske odnose. Tome doprinose i doživljena i anticipirana diskriminacija.