Association of social anxiety with stigmatisation and low self-esteem in remitted bipolar patients

Abstract

Aydemir O, Akkaya C. Association of social anxiety with stigmatisation and low self-esteem in remitted bipolar patients.Background: In remitted bipolar disorder, it is aimed to show the association between social anxiety, self-esteem and stigmatisation.Methods: From two university clinics, a sample of 150 remitted bipolar patients was included in this study. Patients were assessed with Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and sense of stigmatisation subscale of Bipolar Disorder Functioning Questionnaire (Stigma) and were rated with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Young Mania Rating Scale for mood symptoms. Confirmatory path analysis was performed.Results: The mean age of the patients was 39.5, and 52.7% (n = 79) were female. Ninety per cent (n = 135) of the patients had bipolar I disorder. The mean duration of the illness was 13.4 years and the mean number of episodes was 7.8. The model was subjected to confirmatory path analysis and the goodness-of-fit index was calculated to be 0.909, the confirmatory fit index was found to be 0.902 and the root mean square error of approximation was 0.097. Self-esteem was negatively associated with stigmatisation (r = −0.746). Social anxiety was positively associated with self-esteem (r = 0.494). Social anxiety was negatively associated with stigmatisation (r = −0.381).Conclusions: In remitted bipolar patients, social anxiety is very high and this social anxiety seems to be caused by self-stigmatisation and low self-esteem.