Clinical neuropsychological assessments of schizophrenia stereotype: in-depth study of methodological and practical issues

Abstract

The international scientific context and mental health policies have made stigmatization a major target for interventions in psychiatry. More specifically, stigmatization can understood as a contextual factor of mental handicap. Consequently, we ask ourselves the question of the impact of stigma, and more precisely of stereotypes, on the practices in clinical neuropsychology, which are in full development, and in particular on the neuropsychological assessment. The study carried out aimed to: explore the content of the stereotype of schizophrenia in families and in the general population in Iraq. For six months, a questionnaire of 15 items evaluating the measurement of schizophrenia stereotype content distributed online. 182 responses received for the general population group and 124 for the family group following the application of the exclusion criteria. In order to determine the structure and relative significance of its dimensions in ev group, factor analyzes and response ratings comparisons conducted. The study shows that the stereotype of schizophrenia healingly rejected by families, and in particular in its “Dangerousness” dimension. The results further propose that the “Incompetence” dimension of the schizophrenia stereotype occupies a central place, both in families and in the general population.  Exploring the content of the stereotype based on pre-existing tools from the psychiatric literature has enabled us to highlight the central place of incompetence in beliefs about schizophrenia. This is by integrate social psychology models into a reflection on neuropsychological evaluation practices in psychiatry