title: Internalized stigma and intimate relations in bipolar and schizophrenic patients: a comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine characteristics of internalized stigma and intimate relations in bipolar and schizophrenia patients and to compare characteristics of intimate relations in bipolar and schizophrenia patients with or without internalized stigma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 228 volunteers were included, 119 patients with bipolar disorder and 109 with schizophrenia. Schizophrenic and bipolar disorder patients were compared in terms of internalized stigma and intimate relations characteristics. Bipolar and schizophrenia patients with and without internalized stigma were compared in terms of characteristics of intimate relations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Internalized stigma was determined in one in three schizophrenia and one in five bipolar patients. Stigma resistance and relational esteem in intimate relations scores were higher in bipolar patients. Relational anxiety/fear of relationship, relational monitoring and external relational control scores were higher in schizophrenia patients with internalized stigma compared to those without, while their relational satisfaction, relational esteem and relational assertiveness scores were lower. Relational anxiety/fear of relationship and relational monitoring scores were higher in bipolar patients with internalized stigma compared to those without, while their relational satisfaction scores were lower.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Internalized stigma in schizophrenia patients is a well-known subject that has been investigated previously. The results of our study are significant in terms of showing that internalized stigma is also frequent in bipolar disorder patients, and not solely in schizophrenia patients. Stigma resistance is higher in bipolar disorder patients. Internalized stigma is correlated with intimate relations in both bipolar and schizophrenia patients.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Ondokuz Mayis University School of Medicine, Tıp Fakültesi Psikiyatri AD Samsun, Turkey. gokhansarisoy@gmail.com
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sarısoy
authors.forename: Ömer Faruk
authors.initials: ÖF
authors.lastname: Kaçar
authors.forename: Ozan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pazvantoğlu
authors.forename: Işıl Zabun
authors.initials: IZ
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Öztürk
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Akkaya
authors.forename: Sercan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Böke
authors.forename: Ahmet Rifat
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sahin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D057545:Social Stigma; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires