An exploratory cross-sectional study on the impact of education on perception of stigma by Chinese patients with schizophrenia.
Stigma is a major issue across various society and cultures, and few studies focus on the perception of stigma by Chinese patients with schizophrenia. In the current cross-sectional study, we sought to assess the extent of internalized stigma among outpatients with schizophrenia in China and to investigate whether education level correlated with the experience of stigma.



Outpatients with schizophrenia were evaluated using the brief psychosis rating scale (BPRS), the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), the clinical global impression-severity of illness (CGI-SI) scale and the Stigma Scale for Mental Illness (SSMI 2C). Patients were categorized into the high education and low education group according to their educational levels.



One hundred thirty-three subjects were included in the study. Their mean course of illness was 4.32 ± 6.14 years (range, 1 month to 15 years). Their mean BPRS score was 19.87 ± 5.46, their mean PANSS score was 44.11 ± 13.1, and their mean CGI-SI score was 2.22 ± 0.81. In addition, the mean SSMI 2C score of the high education group (7.15 ± 0.98) was markedly higher than that of the low education group (5.75 ± 0.79, P < 0.05). The mean domain I score of the high education group (2.30 ± 0.76) was comparable to that of the low education group (2.07 ± 0.78, P > 0.05). The mean domain II score of the high education group (2.42 ± 0.96) was markedly higher than that of the low education group (2.01 ± 0.79, P < 0.05). Moreover, the mean domain III score of the high education group (2.43 ± 0.79) was significantly higher than that of the low education group (1.67 ± 0.77, P < 0.05).



Education level impacts on the perception of stigma by patients with schizophrenia and more psycho-education should be done to improve patients' knowledge about schizophrenia.
Department of Psychiatry, Tongde Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 234 Gucui Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, China.
Zhibin
Z
Ren
Department of Psychiatry, Tongde Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 234 Gucui Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, China. wangheqiu2008@163.com.
Heqiu
H
Wang
Department of Psychiatry, Tongde Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 234 Gucui Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, China.
Bin
B
Feng
Department of Psychiatry, Tongde Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 234 Gucui Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, China.
Chenyu
C
Gu
Department of Psychiatry, Tongde Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 234 Gucui Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, China.
Yongchun
Y
Ma
Department of Psychiatry, Tongde Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 234 Gucui Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, China.
Hong
H
Chen
Department of Psychiatry, Tongde Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 234 Gucui Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, China.
Bingling
B
Li
Department of Psychiatry, Tongde Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 234 Gucui Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310012, China.
Lanying
L
Liu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D057545:Social Stigma; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
Brief psychosis rating scale (BPRS); Schizophrenia; Stigma; The clinical global impression-severity of illness (CGI-SI) scale; The positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS)