‘Alarming’ number of recovering psychosis patients’ in Hong Kong struggle to get past fear of being judged over condition
University of Hong Kong research looked at 136 patients aged between 15 and 25 and analysed their medical history
Close to 40 per cent of patients recovering from psychosis suffer from moderate to high levels of self-stigma – a fear that others judge them for having the condition – a study by the University of Hong Kong’s faculty of medicine has found.
The research looked at 136 such patients, between 15 and 25 years old. The participants answered nine questions, and researchers analysed the results against their medical history.
Professor Eric Chen Yu-hai, head of the school’s department of psychiatry, said it was “alarming” that 36.8 per cent of the recovering psychosis patients had a moderate to high level of self-stigma. “Self-stigma will attack the self-esteem and self-efficacy in [such] patients, affect their social life and work severely, and worsen depression,” he said.
“[Self-stigma] makes it very difficult for some patients to accept treatment as many [of them]do not feel positive about their treatment.
“Every time they take their medicine, it reminds them that they are taking [it] for this illness.”
Chen said self-stigma could be worsened by a longer duration of untreated psychosis, past admissions and being a female.