Week 7: Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal Flashcards
What was the primary aim of the study?
To explore the potential moderating effect of social support on the relation between distress caused by psychosis risk symptoms and self-stigma among college students with mental health diagnoses.
Who were the participants in the study?
Young adult college students who endorsed having a past or present mental health diagnosis (n=63).
What measures were used in the study?
Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief for subthreshold psychotic-risk symptoms, Self Stigma of Mental Illness scale for self-stigma, and the Lubben Social Network Scale Revised for social support from peers.
What were the key results of the study?
There was a modest direct relation between distress associated with psychosis risk symptoms and self-stigma, with a stronger relation for those with low social support.
What were the main conclusions of the study?
A strong relation between symptom distress and stigma was found among those reporting low peer social support, highlighting the need for interventions targeting self-stigma and social support.
What are subthreshold psychotic symptoms?
Experiences such as perceptual illusions and adherence to superstitious beliefs, which can be distressing and may indicate a risk for psychosis.
How do personality traits influence the impact of subthreshold psychotic symptoms?
The psychological impact of these symptoms appears to vary with personality traits and may be moderated by environmental factors or coping styles.
What is self-stigma?
The reduction of an individual’s self-esteem or self-worth caused by labeling oneself as socially unacceptable.
How is self-stigma related to schizophrenia?
Self-stigma among people with schizophrenia is widely recognized and has been linked to symptom severity, negative coping strategies, and treatment adherence.
What is the relation between self-stigma and seeking help?
Self-stigma is linked to reluctance to seek informal and professional help, leading to treatment delays even into a first psychotic episode.
Why is early intervention important for psychotic symptoms?
Early intervention can lead to reduced symptoms, a better illness trajectory, and sometimes prevention of psychotic illness.
How does social support impact psychological responses to stress?
Studies suggest that peer social support has main and interactive effects on adolescent and young adult psychological responses to stressors.
What is the Lubben Social Network Scale - Revised?
A measure designed to capture social support by assessing the size, perceived closeness, and frequency of contacts in a respondent’s social network of friends.
What is the Self Stigma of Mental Illness Scale - Self-concurrence/Application scale?
A measure assessing the extent to which individuals internalize mental illness stereotypes and apply them to themselves.
What did the study find about the relationship between self-stigma and social support?
A strong relation between symptom distress and stigma was found among those with low peer social support, but not among those with strong social support.
What was the average age of participants in the study?
The average age was 20.68 years.
What percentage of participants endorsed one or more subthreshold psychotic symptoms?
Eighty-four percent of participants endorsed at least one symptom.
What interventions could be relevant based on the study’s findings?
Interventions targeting both self-stigma and social support could be beneficial for young adults experiencing subthreshold psychotic symptoms.
What are some potential limitations of the study?
The study was cross-sectional, limiting causal conclusions, and was conducted on a college sample, which may not generalize to the broader population.
What future research directions does the study suggest?
Future research should investigate the causal relationship between social support, self-stigma, and symptoms, and explore intervention strategies to enhance social support.
