Self-Stigma, insight and influencing factors among Iranian neurotic psychiatric outpatients

Abstract Introduction: Self-stigma towards neurotic disorders is one the main barriers in help seeking and treatment behaviors and hugely impacts the patients’ quality of life. Insight is one of the factors affecting the internalized stigma. Therefore, the aim of this study is to find the relationship between self-stigma and insight among neurotic patients. Methods Participants were diagnosed with one of the neurotic disorders, consisted of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and didn’t have any recurrent episodes during the past six months, who came to outpatient clinics of Tehran Psychiatry Institute and Brain and Cognition Clinic, Tehran, Iran from July 2021 to June 2022. Self-stigma was measured by Mental Illness Stigma Scale questionnaire which is consisted of 34 questions and higher scores indicating higher stigma. Insight was measured by three agree/disagree questions about considering themselves mentally ill, having the need to be visited by a psychiatrist and having the need to use psychiatric medication. Results In total, 140 patients entered the study. Eighty-nine participants (63.6%) considered themselves mentally ill, one hundred twenty-six (90%) needed to be visited by a psychiatrist and one hundred and thirteen (80.7%) needed to use psychiatric medication. The mean score of stigma was 64.5 ± 21.0. Patients who needed to be visited by a psychiatrist and use psychiatric medication had higher stigma scores compared to the ones who didn’t (p = 0.002 and 0.003, respectively). Also, more men compared to women considered themselves mentally healthy (p = 0.031) and more women felt they need to consume psychiatric medication (p = 0.041) Conclusion Patients who need to be visited by a psychiatrist and consume medications have higher stigma scores compared to the ones who didn’t feel the need for psychiatrist visit or medication consumption. On the other hand, there are no significant differences between the total stigma score of patients among the patients who are aware of presence of their illness and the ones who are not.