- Title
- The relationship between internalized stigma, negative symptoms and social functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: the mediating role of self-efficacy
- Creator
- Hill, Kimberley
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2012
- Description
- Professional Doctorate - Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DCP)
- Description
- Scope: Negative symptoms represent a fundamental component of schizophrenia. Furthermore, as noted in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), poor social functioning has been classified as a diagnostic criterion for the disorder. The relationship between both factors has been highlighted in the literature, with negative symptoms being identified as predictors of social functioning. Consequently, considerable research has been devoted to identifying the factors that contribute to negative symptoms. While impairments in neuropsychological functioning have been shown to be contributory factors, research has also demonstrated that a range of psychological variables has provided further clarity regarding negative symptomatology. Purpose: The broad aim of the current research was to gain a greater understanding of the processes that contribute to negative symptoms and social functioning in schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. More specifically, a theoretical model was proposed which predicted that self-efficacy would mediate the relationship between internalized stigma and both negative symptoms and social functioning. Methodology: Sixty participants, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia or a schizophrenia spectrum disorder and admitted to acute mental health facilities in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, were recruited for the current research. A broad range of assessment tasks were utilized, with all tasks being completed in approximately 60 – 90 minutes. In relation to self-efficacy, the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SEQ) was designed to evaluate the participants’ expectancies about their performance on the Faux Pas Test. Results: Initial results indicated that internalized stigma was strongly correlated with negative symptoms, social functioning and self-efficacy. Furthermore, self-efficacy was also found to be strongly associated with negative symptoms and moderately related to social functioning. Additional analyses that utilized a bootstrapping procedure and accompanying SPSS macro for small sample sizes did not support the mediational model. In other words, support was not obtained for the mediating role of self-efficacy in relation to the association between internalized stigma and both negative symptoms and social functioning. Conclusions and Clinical Implications: While support was not found for the proposed theoretical model outlined in the current research, a greater understanding was gained concerning the relationship between internalized stigma, self-efficacy and both negative symptoms and social functioning in schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In brief, the findings of the study highlighted the clinical relevance of research into internalized stigma and the psychological construct of self-efficacy. Furthermore, the research findings have important implications for intervention development and implementation during times of acute admission. Specific theoretical and clinical implications of the findings, together with recommendations for future research, are outlined.
- Subject
- schizophrenia; negative symptoms; social functioning; schizophrenia spectrum disorders
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/931667
- Identifier
- uon:11129
- Rights
- Copyright 2012 Kimberley Hill
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Thesis | 598 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |