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Correspondence to Author: Patrycia Chedid Danna^1,2, Patrick Backes Bolzan³,, Angelo Brandelli Costa⁴, Ygor Arzeno Ferrão^1,3,5. 

1. UFCSPA (Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre);
2. UFFS (Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul);
3. Curso de Medicina UFCPSA;
4. PUCRS (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul),
5. LATINO (Latin American Trans-ancestry INitiative for OCD Genomics).

DOI: 10.52338/jopr.2025.4455

Abstract:

Background:Historically, people with psychiatric disorders or overt psychopathological manifestations have been a constant target of stigma, defined as an adverse social judgment about a person or group. One possible manifestation of stigma is internalized stigma (IS) or self-stigma, i.e., the stigma people experience about their own condition. The relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and IS remains poorly understood. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate potential associations between stigma, IS, and OCD.
Methods: : 83 participants with OCD completed self-report measures on experiences of discrimination, IS, and perceived stigma resulting from OCD. Data was collected through the secure online Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCAP) platform.
Results: : IS showed a direct and moderate correlation with the severity of OCD symptoms, the Aggression and Symmetry dimensions, the presence of sensory phenomena, and anxiety. Depression showed a direct, moderate-to-strong correlation with IS. An active sex life was inversely proportional to IS. Family history of OCD, age of onset, disease duration, and the Stigma Resistance construct were not associated with the variables of interest.
Conclusion: We conclude that IS appears to influence the presentation of OCD. In this study, depression was the strongest predictor of IS.

Keywords: Stigmatization; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Exclusion, Social; Perceived Discrimination.

Citation:

Dr.Ygor Arzeno Ferrão, Stigmatization Of Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Exploratory Survey. Journal of Psychiatry Research 2025.