Effects of Individually Delivered Mindfulness-Based Psychotraining on Internalized Stigma and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors of Individuals With Schizophrenia

Purpose: To examine the effects of individually delivered, nurse-led mindfulness-based psychotraining on internalized stigma and healthy lifestyle behaviors among individuals with schizophrenia. Method: The current study was conducted in a community mental health center in Turkey with 40 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia (experimental group, n = 20; control group, n = 20). The intervention included 12 individual mindfulness-based sessions over 6 weeks. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and postintervention using the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale. Results: The intervention did not result in a significant reduction in internalized stigma ( p > .05). In contrast, significant interaction effects were found for lifestyle behaviors ( p = .001), indicating greater improvements in the experimental group. Conclusion: Although short-term, individually delivered mindfulness-based psychotraining was not sufficient to directly reduce internalized stigma, it demonstrated moderate-to-large effects on healthy lifestyle behaviors, particularly in nutrition and stress management.