A Grounded Theory Investigation of Public Stigma, Internalized Stigma, and Mental Health Recovery in the Wellness Management and Recovery Program
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Mental illnesses are prevalent and impairing conditions in the United States, with a 26% 12-month prevalence, and a 46% lifetime prevalence (Kessler, Chiu, Demler, & Walters, 2005;Kessler, Berglund, Demler, Jin, Merikangas, & Walters, 2005).In the United States, 5.8% of the population is considered as having a serious mental illness (SMI).The term SMI is used in federal regulations that refer to disorders that interfere with at least one area of social functioning.Mental illnesses are often stigmatized by the public and generally this stigma is regarded as an issue of concern, but the research indicates an inconsistent relationship between the presence of stigma and mental health (Mak, Poon, Pun & Chung, 2007).Given that stigma is both a social issue and a psychological issue, pitting in-groups against out-groups, it is often addressed in psychosocial treatment groups.The current study sought to generate a grounded theory model of stigma experiences and therapeutic changes experienced by those participating in a recovery-focused, psychoeducational group treatment program for persons with SMI, the Wellness Management and Recovery (WMR) program.iv Qualitative data were collected from 12 participants of the WMR program.Two higher order themes emerged.The first theme regarded participant experiences with mental illness and stigma, while the second theme regarded their responses to these phenomena.These two themes, experiences and response to mental illness and stigma, provide a unique viewpoint on the relationships between mental illness, public stigma, and internalized stigma from the perspective of WMR participants.Subordinate themes including benefits, limitations, coping, and disclosure of mental illness are described by participants, as well as the role of WMR in promoting mental health recovery and lessening internalized stigma.Participants also reflected on their experience and put forth hypotheses for the development, persistence, and consequences of both public and internalized stigma.Finally, participants provided suggestions for reducing stigma in the general public.Results of this study help to elucidate the complicated associations between symptoms of mental illness, coping, and how public and internalized stigma complicate the recovery process.Further support is provided for theories of stigma as a harmful social process with dire consequences for the internal and external environments of the stigmatized individual (Corrigan, 2004).v Acknowledgments I would like to extend a sincere "thank you" to all the participants and employees at the agencies I worked with during data collection.The study would not have happened without your courage and dedication.I would also like to thank the venerable Drs.Bullock, Hoy, Meyer, and Tiamiyu for their valuable guidance and feedback on this project.Your contributions to this project have each shaped it in some way, and for that I am grateful.It would be impossible to make it through this process without having adequate social support resources.I would like to thank Jake Burmeister, Alex Stauder, Jill Brown, and Angela Szypa for their unwavering support and willingness to listen to me during the rough spots during this process.Rick and Deb Medved.This project can be seen as a mile marker on your 20+ year journey of parenting.I'd say you did a fine job!The completion of this thesis, and this degree attests to your hard work throughout the years.Thank you!Finally, I want to acknowledge the clients who I had the privilege of serving during my employment at Transitional Living Services in Wisconsin.You have had a profound effect on my development as a person and a professional, and I am glad to have known you.Your stories and experiences with mental illness and recovery have stuck with me, and serve as a constant reminder: there but for the grace of God go I.
Author: David G Medved
Institution: University of Toledo
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2341749836