title: Stigma and its correlates in patients with schizophrenia attending a general hospital psychiatric unit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Very few studies from India have studied stigma experienced by patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study stigma in patients with schizophrenia (in the form of internalized stigma, perceived stigma and social-participation-restriction stigma) and its relationship with specified demographic and clinical variables (demographic variables, clinical profile, level of psychopathology, knowledge about illness, and insight).
  
  
  METHODS
  Selected by purposive random sampling, 100 patients with schizophrenia in remission were evaluated on internalized stigma of mental illness scale (ISMIS), explanatory model interview catalog stigma scale, participation scale (P-scale), positive and negative syndrome scale for schizophrenia, global assessment of functioning scale, scale to assess unawareness of mental disorder, and knowledge of mental illness scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On ISMIS scale, 81% patients experienced alienation and 45% exhibited stigma resistance. Stereotype endorsement was seen in 26% patients, discrimination experience was faced by 21% patients, and only 16% patients had social withdrawal. Overall, 29% participants had internalized stigma when total ISMIS score was taken into consideration. On P-scale, 67% patients experienced significant restriction, with a majority reporting moderate to mild restriction. In terms of associations between stigma and sociodemographic variables, no consistent correlations emerged, except for those who were not on paid job, had higher participation restriction. Of the clinical variables, level of functioning was the only consistent predictor of stigma. While better knowledge about the disorder was associated with lower level of stigma, there was no association between stigma and insight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant proportion of patients with schizophrenia experience stigma and stigma is associated with lower level of functioning and better knowledge about illness is associated with lower level of stigma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Aakanksha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Surendra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mattoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grover
keywords: Correlates; insight; knowledge about illness; schizophrenia; stigma