Self-stigma, mentally ill persons and health services: An integrative review of literature.

Integrative review about self-stigma among people with mental illness and its relationship with health services. A total of 149 articles were found in four databases. After screening, 9 articles were selected for complete reading and data extraction. The studies identified that higher levels of self-stigma result in lower levels of adherence to treatment and that lower levels of self-stigma result in greater adherence to treatment. Active participation and engagement in the aspects of care facilitate the empowerment of people with mental illness for better adherence to treatment, reduction of self-stigma and increase of recovery possibilities.