The correlation between mentalization, internalized stigma and functioning in bipolar disorder patients

Aim: This study aims to investigate the effects of mentalizing disorder and internalized stigma on patients' functioning in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Material and Methods: Our study was conducted on a total of 75 patients in remission diagnosed with BD Type 1 according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria who applied to Ankara Oncology Hospital Bipolar Disorders outpatient clinic in 2023. Sociodemographic data form, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), The Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), Functional Assessment Short Test (FAST), and Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI) were administered to the participants. Results: In the study, no correlation was found between ISMI and RMET scores and functioning. A significant correlation was found between the HDRS scores and the total scores of the FAST (r=0.266 p<0.05). In addition, those who used alcohol or drugs were significantly higher than those who did not, those who did not have a regular job were significantly higher than those who did, and those who had a lifetime history of suicide attempts were significantly higher than those who did not (p<0.05). Discussion: Internalized stigma and mentalization levels do not affect functionality in patients with BD during remission. However, subthreshold depression symptoms, alcohol and substance abuse, and suicide attempts in the past may negatively affect the functioning of these patients even in the remission period, so it is important to evaluate these conditions carefully.