The stigmatising implications of presenting schizophrenia as a genetic disease.
The stigmatising implications of presenting schizophrenia as a genetic disease.
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DOI：
10.1007/s10897-008-9178-8
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发表时间：
2008-12-01
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
Murray, Alexandra J
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bennett, Laura;Thirlaway, Kathryn;Murray, Alexandra J
这项研究旨在调查这样一种假设，即相信精神分裂症的遗传病因会增加与这种疾病相关的耻辱。在阅读了描述精神分裂症患者的小插曲的两组参与者中，研究人员比较了五种潜在污名化态度的水平。其中一组被解释为由遗传因素引起，另一组被解释为由环境因素引起。这项研究发现，当参与者阅读一段带有遗传原因而不是环境原因的小插曲时，所测量的五种潜在污名态度中有三种会增加。首先，遗传归因增加了对近亲的联合耻辱程度(p<；0.001)。其次，当遗传因素被认为是致病因素时，参与者认为康复的可能性较小(p<；0.001)。最后，当遗传因素解释这种情况时，也有更多的人感觉到角色的“危险”(p<；0.05)。与之前的研究相反的是，研究发现，感知到的病因对参与者与受影响个人保持社会距离的愿望没有影响。感知的病因学也没有影响人们对道德责任的信念。这些发现的意义表明，向精神分裂症患者提供遗传信息的遗传咨询师和其他健康专业人员应该意识到，对精神分裂症的基因解释可能会增加对他们的客户及其家人的潜在污名化态度。也有可能的是，被诊断为精神分裂症的人自己可能会对他们收到的遗传信息形成确定性的解释，因此不太可能采纳行为建议或坚持治疗。咨询师和卫生专业人员应努力以平衡的方式提供信息，确保接受者了解疾病的多因素原因。
This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that belief in a genetic aetiology of schizophrenia will increase the stigma associated with the disorder. Levels of five potentially stigmatising attitudes were compared in two groups of participants who had read a vignette describing an individual who has schizophrenia. In one group the disorder was explained as being caused by 'genetic' factors, and in the other by 'environmental' factors. This study found that three of the five potentially stigmatising attitudes measured were increased when participants read a vignette with a genetic causation rather than an environmental causation. Firstly, genetic attributions increased levels of associative stigma towards close relatives (p < 0.001). Secondly, participants viewed recovery as less likely when genetic factors were implicated as causative (p < 0.001). Finally, there was also an increased perception of the character's "dangerousness" when the condition was explained by genetic factors (p < 0.05). Contrary to previous research was the finding that perceived aetiology had no effect on participant's desire for social distance from an affected individual. Neither did perceived aetiology influence beliefs about moral accountability. The implications of these findings suggest that genetic counsellors and other health professionals, who are providing genetic information to those affected by schizophrenia should be aware of the possibility that a genetic explanation of schizophrenia could increase potentially stigmatising attitudes towards their clients and their clients' families. It is also possible that individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia may themselves form deterministic interpretations of the genetic information they receive and subsequently be less likely to adopt behavioural advice or adhere to treatment. Counsellors and health professionals should strive to present information in a balanced manner, ensuring recipients understand the multi-factorial causes of the disease.