Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T09:38:38.575Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stigma and recovery in the narratives of peer support workers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Catarina Magalhães Dahl ,
Flavia Mitkiewicz de Souza ,
Giovanni Marcos Lovisi  and
Maria Tavares Cavalcanti
Catarina Magalhães Dahl
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, email catdahl@hotmail.com
Flavia Mitkiewicz de Souza
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Giovanni Marcos Lovisi
Affiliation:
Institute of Collective Health Studies, Federal University Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Maria Tavares Cavalcanti
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

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.

Stigma attaching to mental illness has been considered a major challenge to public policies, to the provision of care and to the well-being of people who live with the experience of mental illness worldwide. Here we discuss narratives from peer support workers which we obtained during the assessment of a new psychosocial intervention programme in Rio de Janeiro. We used a range of focus groups, in-depth interviews and clinical supervision notes to derive these narratives, which covered topics such as the peer support workers' perceptions of family and social views, their sense of self and the experience of being stigmatised. We conclude that stigma appears to be a barrier to recovery. Peer support work for people with severe mental illness is a strategy that may help them to overcome stigma and discrimination. Fostering mutuality and hope in the context of peer support helps affected individuals to make sense of their being in the world and can facilitate their recovery.

Type
Thematic papers: Stigma in Latin America
Information
BJPsych International , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , November 2015 , pp. 83 - 85
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (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
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015

References

Davidson, L. (2003) Living Outside Mental Illness: Qualitative Studies of Recovery in Schizophrenia. New York University Press.Google Scholar
Davidson, L., Bellamy, C., Guy, K., et al (2012) Peer support among persons with severe mental illnesses: a review of evidence and experience. World Psychiatry, 11, 123–128.Google Scholar
Farkas, M. & Anthony, W. A. (2010) Psychiatric rehabilitation interventions: a review. International Review of Psychiatry, 22, 114–129.Google Scholar
Jenkins, J. H. & Carpenter-Song, E. A. (2008) Stigma despite recovery. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 22, 381–409.Google Scholar
Ministério da Saúde (2011) Saúde Mental no SUS: as novas fronteiras da Reforma Psiquiátrica. Relatório de Gestão 2007–2010 [Mental Health in the SUS: The New Frontiers of Psychiatric Reform. Annual Report 2007–2010]. Ministério da Saúde.Google Scholar
Moreira, V. & Melo, A. K. (2008) ‘Minha Doença é Invisível!’ Revisitando o Estigma de ser Doente Mental [‘My illness is invisible!’ Revisiting the stigma of being mentally ill]. Interação em Psicologia, 12, 307–314.Google Scholar
Saraceno, B., van Ommeren, M., Batniji, R., et al (2007) Barriers to improvement of mental health services in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet, 370, 1164–1174.Google Scholar
Sartorius, N. (2007) Stigma and mental health. Lancet, 370, 810–811.Google Scholar
Spadini, L. S. & Souza, M. C. B. M. (2006) A doença mental sob o olhar de pacientes e familiares [Mental illness in the view of patients and families]. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 40, 123–127.Google Scholar
Stastny, P. (2012) Introducing peer support work in Latin American mental health services. Cadernos Saúde Coletiva, Rio de Janeiro, 20, 473–481.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Susser, E. (2012) The RedeAmericas. Cadernos Saúde Coletiva, Rio de Janeiro, 20, 403–4.Google Scholar
Thornicroft, G., Rose, D., Kassam, A., et al (2007) Stigma: ignorance, prejudice or discrimination? British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 192–193.Google Scholar
Vicente, J. B., Mariano, P. P., Buriola, A. A., et al (2013) Aceitação da pessoa com transtorno mental na perspectiva dos familiares [Acceptance of mental patients from the perspective of the family]. Revista Gaúcha de Enfermagem, 34, 54–61.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.