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Prokopez CR, Cesarini JI, Corral RM, Seré L, Chambeaud Helguera N, Alomo M. Renaming schizophrenia in Argentina: Could a change of name resolve the stigma? Results from a national survey. Schizophr Res 2024; 271:334-336. [PMID: 39089100 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Cintia R Prokopez
- Braulio A. Moyano Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Institute of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | | | | | - Lucía Seré
- Ineco Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Martín Alomo
- Braulio A. Moyano Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Faculty of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Goh KK, Lu CY, Chiu YH, Lu ML. The impact of renaming schizophrenia on destigmatization: The Asian experience. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 99:104139. [PMID: 38970899 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
The term "schizophrenia" can indeed carry stigmatizing connotations. Proposals to rename schizophrenia have emerged as a potential strategy to alleviate this stigma, but the impact of such a change is not yet fully understood. In several Asian countries that have adopted a new name for schizophrenia, there is evidence that renaming is associated with improved attitudes towards individuals with schizophrenia and an increased willingness to disclose diagnoses. However, the portrayal of schizophrenia in the media seems unaffected by these name changes. In other countries where "schizophrenia" is still the standard term, alternative names have been suggested, but research on their effectiveness in reducing stigma shows mixed results. Mental health professionals frequently support a name change, recognizing the term's negative implications. However, it is crucial to recognize that a mere semantic revision, devoid of substantial conceptual alterations, may only offer a temporary decrease in stigma. Thus, renaming schizophrenia, coupled with a re-conceptualization of the disorder, may be a constructive step toward reducing its stigmatization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kah Kheng Goh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yu Lu
- School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Yi-Hang Chiu
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mong-Liang Lu
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Aker S, Kahve AC. What do psychiatrists think about renaming schizophrenia in Turkey? Schizophr Res 2022; 248:8-13. [PMID: 35907348 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the opinions of psychiatrists in Turkey on whether to change the name of schizophrenia in order to reduce stigma. This cross-sectional survey was conducted with psychiatrists (resident in psychiatry, specialist, and lecturer) in Turkey. An online survey was created via the Google Forms public web address. Online questionnaires were delivered through Google Forms by emailing and messaging on WhatsApp, Telegram, Google and Yahoo groups and asking them to pass the questionnaire to other possible participants in their network. The study was performed between June 20, 2021 and July 10, 2021. 460 psychiatrists participated in the study. Forty-five-point 2 % of psychiatrists think that the name of schizophrenia should be renamed to reduce stigma. Forty-two-point 8 % of those who support the name change state that this change should be done as soon as possible. While 64.1 % of psychiatrists stated that naming the disease with another (new) name instead of schizophrenia could increase the hopes of patients and their relatives for recovery, 12.6 % stated that renaming would not cause any positive or negative changes. There is no statistical difference between psychiatrists who have a relative diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychiatrists who do not, in terms of thinking that the name of schizophrenia should be renamed to reduce stigma. In order to remove the stigma on schizophrenia, many interventions are required in social, cultural, economic and political fields. Renaming schizophrenia may be a good start for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Servet Aker
- Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey.
| | - Aybeniz Civan Kahve
- Department of Psychiatry, Ankara City Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Bilkent, Turkey
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Maatz A, Ilg Y. The Ins and Outs of 'Schizophrenia': Considering Diagnostic Terms as Ordinary Linguistic Expressions. THE JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMANITIES 2021; 42:387-404. [PMID: 32002725 DOI: 10.1007/s10912-019-09587-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Diagnostic terms in psychiatry like 'schizophrenia' and 'bipolar disorder' are deeply contested in the professional community, by mental health activists and the public. In this paper, we provide a theoretical framework for considering diagnostic terms as ordinary linguistic expressions and illustrate this approach by a corpus linguistic analysis of 'schizophrenia.' Our aim is to show how a focus on language itself can inform current and future debates about psychiatric terminology and provide new insights on relevant processes concerning their actual usage and change over time. We hope that this contributes to enhancing mutual understanding between different discourse spheres and stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Maatz
- Centre for Social Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Militärstrasse 8, 8004, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Yvonne Ilg
- Department of German Studies, University of Zurich, Schönberggasse 9, Zürich, 8001, Switzerland
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Javed A, Lee C, Zakaria H, Buenaventura RD, Cetkovich-Bakmas M, Duailibi K, Ng B, Ramy H, Saha G, Arifeen S, Elorza PM, Ratnasingham P, Azeem MW. Reducing the stigma of mental health disorders with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. Asian J Psychiatr 2021; 58:102601. [PMID: 33611083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Mental health disorders are a burgeoning global public health challenge, and disproportionately affect the poor. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear 80 % of the mental health disease burden. Stigma associated with mental health results in delayed help seeking, reduced access to health services, suboptimal treatment, poor outcomes and an increased risk of individuals' human rights violations. Moreover, widespread co-occurrence of physical comorbidities such as noncommunicable diseases with mental health disorders makes the treatment of both conditions challenging and worsens prognosis. This paper explores various aspects of stigma towards mental health with a focus on LMICs and assesses measures to increase help-seeking and access to and uptake of mental health services. Stigma impacts persons living with mental illness, their families and caregivers and healthcare professionals (mental health professionals, non-psychiatric specialists and general practitioners) imparting mental health care. Cultural, socio-economic and religious factors determine various aspects of mental health in LMICs, ranging from perceptions of health and illness, health seeking behavior, attitudes of the individuals and health practitioners and mental health systems. Addressing stigma requires comprehensive and inclusive mental health policies and legislations; sustainable and culturally-adapted awareness programs; capacity building of mental health workforce through task-shifting and interprofessional approaches; and improved access to mental health services by integration with primary healthcare and utilizing existing pathways of care. Future strategies targeting stigma reduction must consider the enormous physical comorbidity burden associated with mental health, prioritize workplace interventions and importantly, address the deterioration of population mental health from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afzal Javed
- Pakistan Psychiatric Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan; World Psychiatric Association (WPA), UK.
| | - Cheng Lee
- Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - Hazli Zakaria
- Malaysian Psychiatric Association (MPA), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Robert D Buenaventura
- Department of Neurosciences, Manila Theological College - College of Medicine, Manila, Philippines
| | - Marcelo Cetkovich-Bakmas
- Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kalil Duailibi
- Department of Psychiatry, Santo Amaro University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bernardo Ng
- Asociación Psiquiátrica Mexicana, Mexico; University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Hisham Ramy
- NeuroPsychiatry Department, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt; Egyptian Psychiatric Association (EPA), Cairo, Egypt; Egyptian Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (EACBT), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Gautam Saha
- Clinic Brain Neuropsychiatric Institute and Research Center, Kolkata, India; Indian Psychiatric Society, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Paola M Elorza
- Research, Development & Medical, Upjohn - A Pfizer Division, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Muhammad Waqar Azeem
- Department of Psychiatry, Sidra Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar
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Lasalvia A, Vita A, Bellomo A, Tusconi M, Favaretto G, Bonetto C, Zanalda E, Mencacci C, Carpiniello B. Renaming schizophrenia? A survey among psychiatrists, mental health service users and family members in Italy. Schizophr Res 2021; 228:502-509. [PMID: 32593734 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.03.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This survey explores how psychiatrists, service users and family members in Italy perceive the term schizophrenia and if they consider a name change a useful option in order to overcome the stigma attached to it. Opinions on the term schizophrenia were collected by a self-rated questionnaire used in previous international surveys. Questionnaires were delivered members of the Italian Psychiatric Association. Survey of mental health users was conducted among members of the main users' association of the Veneto region; survey of family members was conducted among one of the most representative Italian family association. Overall, 350 psychiatrists, 71 mental health users and 110 family members filled in the questionnaires. Considering the whole sample, 41.5% found the term inappropriate, 67.6% stigmatizing and 72.3% advocated a name change. Among psychiatrists 57% reported that schizophrenia was inappropriate, 70% considered the term stigmatizing and 71% was in favor of a name change. Similarly, 56% of service users and 71% of family members found schizophrenia a stigmatizing term and, respectively, 75% and 77% advocated a name change. Conflicting results were found on possible alterative terms: psychiatrists proposed a wide range of possible options, most of which referred to the term 'psychosis' (53%), whereas users and family members preferred terms referring to the broad category of 'mental health suffering'. Overall, most of respondents in the three stakeholders' groups agree that schizophrenia should be renamed to reduce the stigma attached to it; the main challenge, however, is the lack of consensus on the best alternative term to use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Lasalvia
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; UOC Psichiatria, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata di Verona, Verona, Italy.
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonello Bellomo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Massimo Tusconi
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Gerardo Favaretto
- Department of Mental Health, Local Health Authority ULSS 2 Marca Trevigiana, Treviso, Italy
| | - Chiara Bonetto
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Enrico Zanalda
- Integrated Mental Health Department ASL TO 3 and AOU San Luigi Gonzaga, Torino, Italy
| | - Claudio Mencacci
- Department of Neuroscience, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milan, Italy
| | - Bernardo Carpiniello
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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