title: Adolescents with personality disorders suffer from severe psychiatric stigma: evidence from a sample of 131 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study is to assess the severity of psychiatric stigma in a sample of personality disordered adolescents in order to evaluate whether differences in stigma can be found in adolescents with different types and severity of personality disorders (PDs). Not only adults but children and adolescents with mental health problems suffer from psychiatric stigma. In contrast to the abundance of research in adult psychiatric samples, stigma in children and adolescents has hardly been investigated. Personality disordered adolescents with fragile identities and self-esteem might be especially prone to feeling stigmatized, an experience which might further shape their identity throughout this critical developmental phase.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred thirty-one adolescent patients underwent a standard assessment with Axis I and Axis II diagnostic interviews and two stigma instruments, Stigma Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) and Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Questionnaire (PDDQ). Independent sample t-tests were used to investigate differences in the mean SCQ and PDDQ total scores for patients with and without a PD. Multiple regression main effect analyses were conducted to explore the impact of the different PDs on level of stigma, as well as comorbid Axis I disorders. Age and sex were also entered in the regression models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents with severe mental health problems experience a burden of stigma. Personality disordered patients experience more stigma than adolescents with other severe psychiatric Axis I disorders. Borderline PD is the strongest predictor of experiences of stigma. More severely personality disordered adolescents tend to experience the highest level of stigma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatrisch Ziekenhuis Stuivenberg, ZNA Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium ; Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Catthoor
authors.affiliation: Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dine J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Feenstra
authors.affiliation: Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hutsebaut
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schrijvers
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sabbe
keywords: burden of disease; labeling; mental health professionals