Social functionality and ınternalized stigmatization levels of ındividuals diagnosed with substance dependence

This research is done -as a descriptive one- with the aim of specifying social functionality and internalized stigmatization levels of substance users. All the patients diagnosed with substance dependency according to DSM-IV diagnosis criteria, given in-patient treatment at Gaziantep University Şahinbey Research and Application Hospital Psychiatry Clinic at the time of research and were in conformity with the criteria are the target population of the study. Study sample, on the other hand, consists of 105 substance abusers matching research criteria. Data is gathered between 15 August 2010 and 1 June 2011. Introductory Information Form, Internalized Stigmatization Scale for Mental Diseases and Social Functionality Scale (SİÖ) are used in the process of data gathering. Percentage, arithmetic average and standard deviation, variance analysis, Kruskal Wallis, Mann Whitney U, Independent Samples T test, Pearson correlation analysis, Tukey HSD and Bonferroni analysis are used in data evaluation. %92.4 of all patients are male patients. %37.1 of them are between the ages of 18 and 25. It is confirmed that the patients? SİÖ average total score is 103.25±25.09. Areas related with Precursor social activities (13.68±10.40), spending spare time (13.16±8.46), social withdrawal (9.31±2.21) and level of independence and performance (21.40±7.27) are, in turn, mostly affected by the sub-dimension of patients? social functionality scale. According to these figures, substance abusers? functionality levels are determined as intermediate level. Patients?s average total score for internalized stigmatization is confirmed as 2.92±0.48. When the patients? distribution characteristics of stigmatization are examined, it is confirmed that %43.8 of the patients are stigmatized seriously, and %41.0 of them are stigmatized at intermediate level. It is concluded that patients, who are drug abusers, have a high level of internalized stigmatization. There is a significant relation, in a negative way, between the internalized stigmatization levels and social functionality of patients (p<0.05). According to these results, during the rehabilitation of substance users counseling services in order to decrease patients? internalized stigmatization perceived by them, and to increase their functionalities are recommended to be given.