Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-sv6ng Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-06T22:26:29.444Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

I am not autonomous enough! The role of autonomy beliefs in the relation between social stigma and recovery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

D. Lampropoulos*
Affiliation:
University of Lausanne, Swiss National Centre Of Competence In Research Lives, Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland
H. Klaas
Affiliation:
FORS, Fors, Lausanne, Switzerland
D. Spini
Affiliation:
University of Lausanne, Swiss National Centre Of Competence In Research Lives, Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

It has been suggested that liberal values such as lack of autonomy and burden discourses shape the public’s relation toward people with health problems. However, previous research on the role of such values on one’s recovery and well-being is scarce.

Objectives

We investigated whether perceived autonomy mediates the impact of stigma and negative social experiences on life satisfaction and recovery.

Methods

Our sample, drawn from a subsample of the Swiss Household Panel survey, consisted of 326 individuals reporting a mental health problem (50.3% women, Mage = 50.7, SD = 13) and 354 individuals reporting a physical health issue (49.7% women, Mage = 53.6, SD = 14.7). We tested a model where perceived autonomy, measured with four items drawn from the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), mediates the impact of experienced stigma and negative social experiences on health satisfaction and self-reported recovery.

Results

Our analysis of direct and indirect paths confirmed our hypothesis. Our model showed a good fit to the data for persons with a mental health problem (CFI = .984; RMSEA = .038) and an adequate fit for persons with a physical health problem (CFI = .92; RMSEA = .080).

Conclusions

Our results provide empirical evidence for the potentially self-stigmatizing role of the autonomy ideal for people with health problems and invite for the development of further research and practice regarding this role.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.