Internalized stigma, negative symptoms and global functioning in schizophrenia

Abstract

Introduction

Negative symptoms (NS) of schizophrenia were usually described as a unitary construct and as a separable domain of pathology; however recent studies suggest, that they encompass 2 separable domains: Diminished Expression (DE) and Avolition-Apathy (AA). Research into the relationship between internalized stigma and NS have yielded mixed results up to present.

Objective

The objectives of this study was to assess the factor structure of NS and to examine the relationship between these factors and internalized stigma, global functioning and sociodemographic characteristics.

Aims

The broad aim of this study was to gather greater understanding of the relationship between internalized stigma, NS and global functioning.

Methods

A sample of 50 consecutive subjects were recruited from outpatient psychiatric hospitals meeting the criteria for schizophrenia according to ICD-10. The patients were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), Negative Symptoms Assessment-16 items (NSA-16), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-s), Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI) and were interviewed to assess sociodemographic characteristics.

Results

A two-factor structure for the domain of NS was found: an AA and DE profile group. AA and DE subgroups significantly differed on clinically relevant external validators and greater resistance to stigma is related to both fewer AA and DE symptoms in people with schizophrenia.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the different subdomains of NS can be identified within the broader diagnosis of schizophrenia and that they should be analyzed as distinct domains and that stigma resistance can be a possible intervention target to ameliorate NS.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.