A Vicious Circle of Hope and Despair: Stigma Experienced by Relatives of Persons with Severe Mental Illness.

ABSTRACT

Not only people suffering from severe mental illness (SMI) but also their family members experience stigma. Relatives are met with negative attitudes from healthcare professionals, which adds to the problem. This Swedish study employed a qualitative inductive explorative design in the analysis of written free-text responses from 65 persons who completed a questionnaire for relatives of persons with SMI. The overarching theme, "A vicious circle of hope and despair", was elaborated by four categories which formed a vicious circle "Wanting openness, understanding and acknowledgement"; "Facing a lack of understanding from others"; "Seeking understanding from mental healthcare professionals but experiencing the opposite"; and "Keeping family experiences private." If this vicious circle of family stigma is to be broken, measures are needed for both relatives and health care professionals.