The Influence of Metacognition, Social Cognition, Self-Esteem, and Quality of Life on Personal Stigma in First-Episode Psychosis

Despite the lack of studies, the influence of social cognition and metacognition on personal stigma can be better understood by investigating the social components involved in this construct, as well as by the influence of self-esteem and quality of life (QOL) found in previous studies. The aims of the present study were (a) to study the relationship between perceived stigma (self-stigma and perceived stigma), social cognition, and metacognition in first-episode psychosis (FEP); (b) to explore the effect of psychotic and depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and QOL on personal stigma; and (c) to evaluate which components of social cognition, metacognition, or other variables explain self-stigma and perceived stigma. A total of 69 patients diagnosed with FEP were included. The variables mentioned above were evaluated. This study is based on the basal assessment of a randomized clinical trial. Our results showed significant relationships, especially in the case of self-stigma, which has been associated with theory of mind, self-certainty, cognitive biases, depression, self-esteem, and QOL, although the perceived stigma was only associated with self-esteem and QOL. Therefore, self-stigma is related to more intrinsic variables, having different implications on perceived stigma. In contrast to perceived stigma, which was more explained by QOL, the variables that most explained self-stigma were self-certainty and self-esteem.