P815
Mental illness has been found to have numerous negative impacts on the lives of individuals; this extends beyond subjective well-being, and also includes social interactions, employment opportunities, and self-esteem. Research on both pharmacological and psycho-therapeutic treatments consistently shows significant benefits of these treatments with minimal long-term effects; continuation treatment is often necessary to maintain benefits. Some have theorized that ongoing needs of those with mental illness diagnoses are due not only to the underlying condition but also to the consequences of being assigned a mental illness label. Due to the stigma of mental illness, those who have been diagnosed with a mental illness may anticipate and experience social rejection, with behavioral and emotional consequences that go beyond the individual’s illness symptoms.
Researchers seeking to explore these possibilities gathered data on 84 male subjects, each of whom was diagnosed with a mental illness as well as a substance abuse disorder. These individuals were assigned to one of two programs: one was a residential program whereas the other was composed of therapy sessions. After one year of participation, subjects in both programs showed improvement with respect to psychiatric symptoms, social functioning, and depression.
Table 1. Means, standard deviations, and paired t-tests for stigma scales at baseline and one-year follow-up for individuals in both programs (n = 84).
Variable | Baseline Means (SD) |
Follow-Up Means (SD) |
Significance of Paired t-tests (p) |
Perceived Devaluation/ Discrimination | 2.72 (0.40) | 2.76 (0.41) | n.s. |
Rejection Experiences | 0.46 (0.27) | 0.42 (0.26) | n.s. |
Secrecy | 0.57 (0.28) | 0.57 (0.31) | n.s. |
Withdrawal | 0.43 (0.37) | 0.44 (0.37) | n.s. |
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