Stigmatisation and Self-esteem of Persons in Recovery from Mental Illness: the Role of Peer

BACKGROUND: Persons with mental health problems often experience stigmatisation, which can have detrimental consequences for their objective and subjective quality of life. Previous research seeking for elements buffering this negative association focused on coping strategies and revealed that none of the most often used strategies is successful. AIMS: This article studies whether peer support among clients can moderate this negative link, and to which extent. Following the buffering hypothesis on stress and social support it was expected that the association between stigmatisation and self-esteem would be less among persons experiencing greater peer support. METHODS: This research problem was studied by means of ordinary least squares regression analysis using quantitative data from structured questionnaires completed by 595 clients of rehabilitation centres. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm that stigmatisation is negatively related to selfesteem, while peer support is positively linked with it. Furthermore, they show that peer support moderates the negative association between stigmatisation and self-esteem, but not in the expected way. These findings suggest that peer support can only have positive outcomes among clients with few stigma experiences, and that stigmatisation itself could impede the formation and beneficial consequences of constructive peer relationships among persons receiving professional mental health care.