Étude des représentations sociales de la schizophrénie dans la population générale et dans une population de patients schizophrènes

This study aims to compare social representations of schizophrenia in a sample of schizophrenics patients and in the general population. This question is of considerable interest in clinical practice and in psychosocial intervention. On the one hand, most of the schizophrenics patients have been informed about their diagnosis. On the other hand it is well known that stigmatisation attached to the labeling of schizophrenia has major repercussions on the acceptation of the diagnosis for the patient and his family, the compliance to treatment and the quality of life. Understanding social representations of schizophrenia in a sample of schizophrenics may be useful in adapting psychoeducation techniques and preventing relapses. We have investigated these reprentations in a sample of 20 schizophrenics who were informed of their diagnosis and in a 20 matched sample in the general population. We have excluded the persons who had a previous contact with a schizophrenic. Results show that medical representations of the trouble occur in general population, which can be considered as a positive evolution of the representation of schizophrenic people who are considered as ill persons rather than just “mad”. With regard to stigmatising representations, it is surprising to note that schizophrenics and the general population share the same representations. We hypothesize that this attitude in schizophrenics may result from an internalization of the supposed stigmatisation about their illness.