title: SELF-STIGMA AND COMING OUT ABOUT ONE'S MENTAL ILLNESS.
abstract: Self-stigma can undermine self-esteem and self-efficacy of people with serious mental illness. Coming out may be one way of handling self-stigma and it was expected that coming out would mediate the effects of self-stigma on quality of life. This study compares coming out to other approaches of controlling self-stigma. Eighty-five people with serious mental illness completed measures of coming out (called the Coming Out with Mental Illness Scale, COMIS), self-stigma, quality of life, and strategies for managing self-stigma. An exploratory factor analysis of the COMIS uncovered two constructs: benefits of being out (BBO) and reasons for staying in. A mediational analysis showed BBO diminished self-stigma effects on quality of life. A factor analysis of measures of managing self-stigma yielded three factors. Benefits of being out was associated with two of these: affirming strategies and becoming aloof, not with strategies of shame. Implications for how coming out enhances the person's quality of life are discussed.
authors: Illinois Institute of Technology.
authors: Patrick W
authors: PW
authors: Corrigan
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Morris
authors: Jon
authors: J
authors: Larson
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Rafacz
authors: Abigail
authors: A
authors: Wassel
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Michaels
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Wilkniss
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Batia
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Rüsch
references: Psychol Bull. 2007 Mar;133(2):328-45
references: 17338603
references: Psychiatry Res. 2004 Dec 30;129(3):257-65
references: 15661319
references: J Health Soc Behav. 1998 Dec;39(4):335-47
references: 9919855
references: Psychiatry Res. 2010 Oct 30;179(3):328-32
references: 20493559
references: Schizophr Res. 1999 Jul 27;38(1):77-84
references: 10427613
references: Annu Rev Psychol. 2007;58:345-72
references: 16953797
references: Schizophr Res. 2009 Jul;112(1-3):119-22
references: 19410431
references: Soc Sci Med. 2008 Aug;67(3):453-62
references: 18450349
references: Psychiatry Res. 2003 Nov 1;121(1):31-49
references: 14572622
references: AIDS Educ Prev. 1998 Jun;10(3):278-92
references: 9642425
references: Psychiatr Serv. 1997 Aug;48(8):1042-7
references: 9255837
references: Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2009 Oct;120(4):320-8
references: 19485961
references: J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59 Suppl 20:22-33;quiz 34-57
references: 9881538
references: Psychiatry Res. 2007 Apr 15;150(3):313-25
references: 17320971
references: J Nerv Ment Dis. 2010 Feb;198(2):150-3
references: 20145491
references: Psychiatr Serv. 1997 Oct;48(10):1328-30
references: 9323754
references: Br J Psychiatry. 2009 Dec;195(6):551-2
references: 19949209
references: Behav Res Methods Instrum Comput. 2004 Nov;36(4):717-31
references: 15641418
references: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986 Dec;51(6):1173-82
references: 3806354
references: Psychiatr Serv. 2009 Jan;60(1):29-34
references: 19114567
references: Schizophr Bull. 2001;27(2):219-25
references: 11354589
references: Community Ment Health J. 2009 Oct;45(5):366-74
references: 19263219
references: Schizophr Res. 2009 May;110(1-3):59-64
references: 19269140
references: Schizophr Res. 2009 May;110(1-3):65-71
references: 19237266
references: Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2009 Jul;35(7):867-79
references: 19403792
references: Psychiatr Serv. 2006 Mar;57(3):399-402
references: 16525000
references: J Nerv Ment Dis. 2006 Oct;194(10):766-73
references: 17041289
references: Soc Work Health Care. 2000;30(3):1-17
references: 10880005
references: Psychiatr Serv. 2006 Jun;57(6):857-62
references: 16754764
references: J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2010 Mar;41(1):60-3
references: 19897173
references: Am J Community Psychol. 2001 Feb;29(1):133-60
references: 11439825
references: J Nerv Ment Dis. 2007 Dec;195(12):1020-3
references: 18091196