[Self-stigma and functioning in patients with bipolar disorder]

Abstract

Self-stigma of people with bipolar disorder is an underestimated problem, with serious consequences in terms of clinical severity and social and professional functioning.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate self-stigma in patients with bipolar disorder, to identify socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with it and to analyze the links between self-stigma and functioning in this population.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytic study including 61 patients with bipolar disorder meeting criteria of remission. We used the internalized stigma of mental illness (ISMI) to investigate self-stigma, and the functioning assessment short test (FAST) to assess functioning.

Results: The mean age of patients was 43.4 years. The sex ratio was 2.4. Half of the patients were single or divorced (50 %). They had secondary or university education in 69 % of cases and were professionally inactive in 59 % of cases. The socioeconomic level was low or medium in 92 % of cases. A personal judicial record was found in 16 % of patients, a suicide attempt in 41 % of cases. Most patients in our series had bipolar I disorder (92 %). The mean age at onset of the disease was 23.5 years, with a mean duration of disease progression of 20 years. Patients were hospitalized an average of 5.9 times. Most patients (90 %) exhibited psychotic features during their mood relapses. The mean duration of the last remission was 27.9 months. Patients had regular follow-ups at our consultations in 87 % of cases. Among the patients included in the study, 8 % were on long-acting neuroleptics. The mean score on the internalized stigma of mental illness was 2.36±0.56. More than half of our patients (59 %) were self-stigmatized. Discrimination and alienation were found in 51 % of cases, followed by resistance to stigmatization (43 %) and assimilation of stereotypes (41 %). Regarding functioning, a global impairment was noted in more than two thirds of patients (71 %). An alteration in professional functioning was found in 82 % of cases and in cognitive functioning in 69 % of cases. Disruption of the financial sphere concerned 43 % of the patients, and the relational sphere 41 % of them. Autonomy was altered in 41 % of patients. Analysis of the relationships between self-stigma and characteristics of the study population revealed statistically significant associations between higher self-stigma scores and single or divorced status, low socio-economic level and judicial record. In terms of clinical parameters, the mean self-stigma score was significantly associated with a higher total number of thymic episodes and hospitalizations, a longer cumulative duration of hospitalizations and a shorter duration of the last remission. In addition, the mean self-stigma score was associated with significantly more impaired functioning.

Conclusions: Our study underlines the need to work towards the implementation of management modalities aimed at combating the self-stigmatization of patients with bipolar disorder and mitigating its negative consequences during the course of the disease.

Keywords: Auto-stigmatisation; Bipolar disorder; Fonctionnement; Functioning; Self-stigma; Trouble bipolaire.