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A longitudinal study on the effects of social support on self-stigma, psychiatric symptoms, and personal and social functioning in community patients with severe mental illnesses in China.
- Source :
-
The International journal of social psychiatry [Int J Soc Psychiatry] 2024 Aug; Vol. 70 (5), pp. 957-966. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Apr 14. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Background: Few studies have examined whether social support contributes to better consequences among chronic patients with severe mental illnesses (SMI) in their community recovery stage and whether self-stigma would be a mechanism through which social support impacts psychiatric symptoms and personal and social functioning.<br />Aims: This study aimed to examine prospective associations of social support with long-term self-stigma, psychiatric symptoms, and personal and social functioning, and to investigate whether self-stigma would mediate the associations of social support with psychiatric symptoms and personal and social functioning among patients with SMI.<br />Methods: A total of 312 persons with SMI (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) in their community recovery stage participated in the study. Social support, self-stigma, psychiatric symptoms, and personal and social functioning were evaluated at baseline. The follow-up assessment was conducted at 6 months with the baseline measures except for social support. Hierarchical linear regression and mediation analysis were performed.<br />Results: The results showed that baseline social support predicted decreases in stigma (β = -.115, p = .029) and psychiatric symptoms (β = -.193, p < .001), and increases in personal and social functioning (β = .134, p = .008) over 6 months, after adjusting for relevant covariates. Stigma at 6 months partially mediated the association between baseline social support and 6-month psychiatric symptoms (indirect effect: β = -.043, CI [-0.074, -0.018]). Stigma and psychiatric symptoms at 6 months together mediated the association between baseline social support and 6-month personal and social functioning (indirect effect: β = .084, 95% CI [0.029, 0.143]).<br />Conclusion: It is necessary to provide comprehensive social support services and stigma reduction interventions at the community level to improve the prognosis of SMI.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1741-2854
- Volume :
- 70
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The International journal of social psychiatry
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 38616508
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640241245932