Experience of stigma among family members of people with severe mental illness: A qualitative systematic review

Family members of people with severe mental illness are subjected to stigmatization, and a better understanding of their experience of stigma is important for developing anti-stigma interventions to reduce the related adverse consequences. This review aimed to systematically identify, evaluate, and synthesize existing findings from qualitative studies regarding the experience of stigma among family members of people with severe mental illness. A systematic literature search for primary studies was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT), SinoMed (China), Chinese Citation Database (CNKI), and Wanfang Data (China) until March 2019. Findings from the included qualitative studies were extracted and aggregated using meta-synthesis, guided by the Joanna Briggs Methodology for Qualitative Systematic Reviews. The results revealed that family members experienced stigma and suffered from various negative consequences related to it. Five major categories were identified in 20 studies: 'negative public images of mental illness', 'structural discrimination against mental illness', 'stigma encountered in everyday life', 'psychological distress associated with stigmatization', and 'coping with stigma'. The study contributes to our understanding of the stigma experienced by family members of people with severe mental illness. It is suggested that culturally appropriate multi-level interventions targeting the general public, health professionals, communities, and family members need to be developed to reduce the harmful influence of associated family stigma.