Perceived stigma and depression among caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder

This study investigates the associations between perceived stigma, depressive symptoms and coping among caregivers of people with bipolar disorder. Caregivers of 500 people with DSM–IV bipolar disorder responded to measures of these constructs at study entry Patients' clinical and functional st...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of psychiatry 2007-06, Vol.190 (6), p.535-536
Main Authors: Perlick, Deborah A., Miklowitz, David J., Link, Bruce G., Struening, Elmer, Kaczynski, Richard, Gonzalez, Jodi, Manning, Lauren N., Wolff, Nancy, Rosenheck, Robert A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Attitude to Health
Avoidance behavior
Bipolar affective disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar Disorder - psychology
Caregivers
Caregivers - psychology
Coping
Demography
Depression
Female
Functional status
Health Status
Humans
Male
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental health
Patients
Perceptions
Psychiatry
Short Report
Social interactions
Social support
Sociodemographic aspects
Sociodemographics
Stereotyping
Stigma
Stigmatization
Symptoms
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study investigates the associations between perceived stigma, depressive symptoms and coping among caregivers of people with bipolar disorder. Caregivers of 500 people with DSM–IV bipolar disorder responded to measures of these constructs at study entry Patients' clinical and functional status were evaluated within 30 days of the caregiver assessment. Perceived stigma was positively associated with caregiver depressive symptoms, controlling for patient status and socio-demographic factors. Social support and avoidance coping accounted for 63% of the relationship between caregiver stigma and depression. Results suggest that caregivers' perceptions of stigma may negatively affect their mental health by reducing their coping effectiveness.
ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/bjp.bp.105.020826