Self-stigma in parents of children with a mental health disorder

Despite causing emotional pain, self-stigma in parents of children with mental health disorders is under-researched. In this thesis, parents' self-stigma was explored using participatory action research methods. With items representing parents' narratives, a measure of parents' self-stigma was developed and its factor structure and psychometric properties examined.
A model of parents' self-stigma formation was tested and indicated that others' stigma predicted parental self-doubt, which predicted self-stigma. Self-stigma included self-blame, self-shame, and bad-parent self-beliefs and was associated with decreased self-esteem and empowerment, and increased affective distress. Scribing, a qualitative method was examined. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for self-stigma theory, measurement, and intervention.