Correlates of self-stigma among outpatients with mental illness in Lagos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Studies in this region have all been limited to public stigma whereas little is known about the extent of self-stigma.

AIMS: To assess the extent, domains and correlates of self-stigma among psychiatric outpatients in Lagos, Nigeria.

METHOD: Psychiatric outpatients (n = 342) from three centres completed a modified version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale (ISMI) as a measure of their self-stigma. They were also evaluated for various sociodemographic and clinical related variables.

RESULTS: A total of 74 (n = 21.6%) patients were classified as having 'high self-stigma'. The correlates of high self-stigma included unemployment (OR 3.85, 95% CI 2.55-7.00), poor social support (OR 10.82, 95% CI 4.85-24.84), longer duration of illness (OR 10.35, 95% CI 4.36-25.78) and having full insight into the illness (OR 4.23, 95% CI 2.16-8.76).

CONCLUSIONS: Self-stigma is a common phenomenon in psychiatric outpatients in this environment. The present anti-stigma programmes must extend to regions of sub-Saharan Africa and incorporate self-stigma as a matter of priority.