title: Internalized stigma and quality of life among persons with severe mental illness: the mediating roles of self-esteem and hope.
abstract: Research has revealed the negative consequences of internalized stigma among people with serious mental illness (SMI), including reductions in self-esteem and hope. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between internalized stigma and subjective quality of life (QoL) by examining the mediating role of self-esteem and hope. Measures of internalized stigma, self-esteem, QoL, and hope were administrated to 179 people who had a SMI. Linear regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to analyze the cross-sectional data. Self-esteem mediated the relation between internalized stigma and hope. In addition, hope partially mediated the relationship between self-esteem and QoL. The findings suggest that the effect of internalized stigma upon hope and QoL may be closely related to levels of self-esteem. This may point to the need for the development of interventions that target internalized stigma as well as self-esteem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health System Management, Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel, Yezreel Valley, Israel.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mashiach-Eizenberg
authors.forename: Ilanit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hasson-Ohayon
authors.forename: Philip T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Yanos
authors.forename: Paul H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lysaker
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D065026:Hope; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D057545:Social Stigma