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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV1284

Depressive symptoms in family members of people with severe mental illness were associated with self-stigma

DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH SELF-STIGMA AMONG FAMILY MEMBERS OF PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS

Self-stigma was the strongest correlate of depressive symptom severity among family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness.

The study aimed to examine the relationship between affiliate stigma and depressive symptoms among family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). A total of 300 family caregivers of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder were recruited from three hospitals in southern Taiwan; participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. Affiliate stigma was assessed using the Affiliate Stigma Scale (ASS), depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and perceived public stigma, family stigma stress, self-esteem, and perceived social support using the DCFS, FSSS, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), respectively; hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed. The caregivers’ mean age was 53.08 +/- 13.80 years, 54.7% were women, and 87.3% lived with the patient. The mean ASS score was 2.23 (possible range 1 to 4), and the mean CES-D score was 15.39 (possible range 0 to 60). In the third model, which included all variables, greater depressive symptom severity was associated with self-stigma (beta = 8.237; SE = 1.607; p < 0.001), lower self-esteem (beta = -0.820; SE = 0.139; p < 0.001), greater family stigma stress (beta = 0.396; SE = 0.194; p < 0.05), female caregiver sex (beta = 2.457; SE = 1.114; p < 0.05), female patient sex (beta = 2.815; SE = 1.095; p < 0.05), and older patient age at first contact with mental health services (beta = 0.138; SE = 0.063; p < 0.05); the model’s explanatory power was R2 = 0.555 (adjusted R2 = 0.515), F = 14.13; p < 0.001. Family-focused interventions are recommended to address self-stigma and stigma-related stress, strengthen self-esteem, and facilitate early identification of caregivers with significant depressive symptoms.

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