Internalized stigma in patients with schizophrenia: A hospital-based cross-sectional study from Nepal.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine the internalized stigma of mental illness in patients with schizophrenia visiting psychiatry outpatient in a tertiary level hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, and to explore the associated sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, where participants were selected by purposive sampling from the outpatient department of psychiatry in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. One hundred and fourteen patients were selected and given the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale to complete to assess the level of stigma.