- Title
- Stigma among parents with serious mental illness: internalised mental illness stigma in mothers and externalised gender stigma in fathers
- Creator
- Stone, Melanie
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2014
- Description
- Professional Doctorate - Doctor of Clinical and Health Psychology
- Description
- Scope: The numbers of people with serious mental illness (SMI) who are parents have increased in the last decade (Campbell, et al., 2012). These parents encounter discrimination and stereotypes that they are unfit to provide adequate parenting due to their illness (Ackerson 2003a). Public stigma among people living with SMI is extensive and can significantly impact on a person’s self-esteem and quality of life (Corrigan & Watson 2002a). Furthermore, parents may experience additional stigma associated with their gender due to traditional stereotypes and societal expectations and standards relating to parenting (Biernat, Mains, & Nelson, 1999; Bird, 1997, Wood & Eagly, 2012). Very little is currently known regarding the specific experiences of stigma that mothers, and in particular fathers with SMI face. Purpose: The current study aimed to explore and compare the experiences of stigma for mothers and fathers with SMI relating to mental illness and gender and the associated impact of stigma on parenting experiences. The purpose of the study was to provide insights regarding the specific impact of stigma on mothers and fathers with SMI and directions for tailored interventions to support mothers and fathers and their families. Methodology: Participants (N = 93) who previously identified as parents in the Second Australian National Survey of Psychosis (Morgan et al., 2012) from the Hunter, Orange and Adelaide regions of Australia completed a telephone survey which consisted of three main sections: (1) demographic, clinical and chid-care information; (2) three subscales from the parenting domain of the Parenting Stress Index (3rd ed.; Abidin, 1995) including Competence, Role Restriction and Isolation and; (3) stigma items based on the Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (Corrigan, Watson, & Barr, 2006), as well as items relating to perceived sources of discrimination. Relevant clinical and demographic information previously collected in the national survey was also included. Data were analysed using two-step Multiple Hierarchical Regression models to explore gender differences on stigma variables and parenting variables, as well as similarities and differences between mothers and fathers in the relationship between stigma variables and each of the parenting variables. Chi-squared tests were also used to explore sources of perceived discrimination for mothers and fathers. Results: Mothers were more likely than fathers to perceive and internalise stigma associated with the impact of their mental illness on their parenting. Conversely, fathers were more likely than mothers to perceive stigma associated with their gender on their parenting, however, rather than internalising this stigma, they were more likely to externalise, and hold stigmatising attitudes towards others. Mental illness stigma was associated with poorer perceived parenting competence and increased role restriction for mothers; gender stigma was associated with greater perceived isolation for fathers. Irrespective of gender, however, stigma of all forms investigated (public/self-stigma; associated with mental illness/gender) predicted poorer self-reported parenting experiences among all parents. Additionally, mothers were more likely to experience mental illness discrimination and family members were cited as the most common source of discrimination by both mothers and fathers. Conclusions: Perceived stigma and discrimination is common among both mothers and fathers with SMI; however, mothers may experience greater perceived detrimental impacts of mental illness stigma relative to fathers, demonstrating greater tendency to self-stigmatise. In contrast, fathers may be more likely than mothers to perceive stigma associated with their gender on their parenting and may be more likely to exhibit greater stigmatising attitudes towards other fathers. Implications: Interventions focusing on self-stigma and internalised negative stereotypes may assist mothers with SMI to improve perceived parenting competence and reduce the impact of parenting burdens. Interventions for fathers with SMI addressing perceived gender stereotypes regarding parenting and externalised negative attitudes towards others may aid in improving social relationships for fathers and decrease isolation. Further research regarding stigma among parents with SMI is needed to continue to explore these concerns among parents and provide additional insights regarding tailored interventions to better support mothers and fathers and their families.
- Subject
- self-stigma; perceived stigma; gender differences; discrimination; psychosis
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1055219
- Identifier
- uon:15853
- Rights
- Copyright 2014 Melanie Stone
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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