title: Self-clarity and different clusters of insight and self-stigma in mental illness.
abstract: The current study explored the self-experience of persons with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) by investigating the associations between different insight and self-stigma clusters, self-clarity, hope, recovery, and functioning. One hundred seven persons diagnosed with a SMI were administered six scales: self-concept clarity, self-stigma, insight into the illness, hope, recovery, and functioning. Correlations and cluster analyses were performed. Insight, as measured by a self-report scale was not related to any other variable. Self-stigma was negatively associated with self-clarity, hope, recovery and functioning. Three clusters emerged: moderate stigma/high insight (n=31), high stigma/moderate insight (n=28), and low stigma/low insight (n=42). The group with low stigma and low insight had higher mean levels of self-clarity and hope than the other two groups. There were no significant differences between cluster 1 (moderate stigma/high insight) and cluster 2 (high stigma/moderate insight) in all the variables beside self-clarity. The group with moderate stigma and high insight had significantly higher mean levels of self-clarity than the group with high stigma and moderate insight. Results reveal that when people diagnosed with SMI do not have high levels of self-stigma they often report a positive and clear sense of self accompanied with hope, regardless of having low insight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. Electronic address: ilanithasson@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ilanit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hasson-Ohayon
authors.affiliation: Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel, Israel.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mashiach-Eizenberg
authors.affiliation: Roudebush VA Medical Center, and the Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Paul H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lysaker
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D065026:Hope; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011340:Problem Solving; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment; D057545:Social Stigma; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Insight; Self-clarity; Self-stigma; Severe mental illness