title: Exploring stigmatisation among people diagnosed with either bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder: a critical realist analysis.
abstract: This study explores experiences of stigma and discrimination amongst people diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD) or borderline personality disorder (BPD). Inspired by Margaret Archer's morphogenetic sequence and the ontological depth of critical realism, a temporal framework for stigmatisation, incorporating structure and agency, is developed and used to situate these experiences. A literature review found very little existing research on the subjective experience of stigma amongst these diagnostic groups. Indeed, most mental illness stigma research is quantitative and focussed on schizophrenia and depression. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-nine people diagnosed with BD or BPD, along with five 'friendship' mini-focus groups within the UK. Participants were recruited via charities and participant networking. Using thematic analysis, along with abductive and retroductive inference, experiences and anticipation of stigma and discrimination for participants with one of the two diagnoses in various contexts of social interaction were found to coincide with 'four faces' of oppression: cultural imperialism (pathologisation, normalisation and stereotyping), powerlessness, marginalisation and violence. Such experiences implied a range of antecedent social and cultural structures. Implications for the stigma concept are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, David Goldberg Centre, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom. Electronic address: oliver.bonnington@lshtm.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bonnington
authors.affiliation: Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, David Goldberg Centre, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D063508:Social Discrimination; D013240:Stereotyping; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bipolar disorder; Borderline personality disorder; Critical realism; Discrimination; Mental illness; Morphogenesis; Stigma; United Kingdom