Healing Stigma Through Stories

N/ANot Yet RecruitingNCT07708402

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University24 enrolled

Overview

This study is the first phase of the research project. The purpose of this phase is to develop and refine a narrative-based intervention designed to reduce self-stigma among people with schizophrenia. A small pilot study will be conducted with 24 participants recruited from halfway houses in northern Taiwan. Eligible participants will receive the intervention, which consists of four group sessions and four individual sessions, held once a week for a total of eight weeks. The program uses narrative therapy techniques to help participants explore their personal experiences and reduce self-stigma. Participants will complete a workbook during the program, and the written content will be analyzed to better understand their experiences with stigma. Any personal information will be removed to protect participants' privacy. Before and after the intervention, participants will complete questionnaires on self-stigma, depression, social functioning, well-being, hope, and recovery. Information on medication use will also be collected. Group and individual sessions will be audio-recorded for research purposes. The questionnaire data and recordings will be used to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effects of the intervention.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Schizophrenia / Schizoaffective Disorder

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 18 years or older. * Diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. * Clinically stable at the time of study enrollment. * Able to communicate in Mandarin Chinese or Taiwanese. * Able to read and write and complete study questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals who lack the capacity to provide informed consent. Decision-making capacity will be assessed using a 10-item true/false questionnaire adapted from Okoli et al. (2018). Participants who answer fewer than 7 questions correctly will be excluded. Those who answer 7 or more questions correctly will receive an additional explanation from the research team. Only individuals who demonstrate a complete understanding of the study after this explanation will be enrolled. * Unwilling to have the intervention sessions audio-recorded.