Dismantling Myths: Schizophrenia Patients' Accounts Of Stigma And Survival
Eleni Georgiou
Occupational therapist, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Greece.
Andreas Dimitriou
Occupational therapist, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Greece.
Abstract
Mental illnesses, particularly severe conditions like schizophrenia, are entwined with social stigma and self-stigmatization, significantly influencing an individual's social identity. Stigma and auto-stigmatization can deeply impact a patient's self-esteem, playing a pivotal role in their illness trajectory and the process of healing emotional and biographical wounds (Bay, 1991). In an era of profound individuation, where identity and self-integrity are under constant threat, addressing stigma becomes a critical element for an individual's life quality (Monaghan & Gates, 2015). The link between stigma, chronic illnesses, and their embodiment has been extensively studied, underscoring its central role in an increasingly individualistic society (Charmaz, 1983; Inman, 2019; Maffoni et al., 2017; Loco et al., 2009; Valasaki, 2021). The management of stigma isn't confined to a mere side issue in mental health; it's a pivotal aspect, warranting care and self-care. This is especially true in the context of evolving community psychiatry in Greece, where long-term institutionalization is no longer the primary treatment modality (Madianos, 2020; Moudatsou et al., 2021; Missouridou et al., 2022).