Healing Stigma Through Stories

Healing Stigma Through Stories: Learning From International Practices to Develop and Evaluate a Narrative Program for Individuals With Schizophrenia

This study is the first phase of the research project. The purpose of this phase is to develop and refine a narrative-based intervention designed to reduce self-stigma among people with schizophrenia.

A small pilot study will be conducted with 24 participants recruited from halfway houses in northern Taiwan. Eligible participants will receive the intervention, which consists of four group sessions and four individual sessions, held once a week for a total of eight weeks. The program uses narrative therapy techniques to help participants explore their personal experiences and reduce self-stigma. Participants will complete a workbook during the program, and the written content will be analyzed to better understand their experiences with stigma. Any personal information will be removed to protect participants' privacy. Before and after the intervention, participants will complete questionnaires on self-stigma, depression, social functioning, well-being, hope, and recovery. Information on medication use will also be collected. Group and individual sessions will be audio-recorded for research purposes. The questionnaire data and recordings will be used to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effects of the intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Schizophrenia / Schizoaffective Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Healing Stigma through Stories

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 24
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Li-Ting Huang, phD; Phone Number: +8862-28267284; Email: lthuang@nycu.edu.tw

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 18 years or older.
• Diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
• Clinically stable at the time of study enrollment.
• Able to communicate in Mandarin Chinese or Taiwanese.
• Able to read and write and complete study questionnaires.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who lack the capacity to provide informed consent. Decision-making capacity will be assessed using a 10-item true/false questionnaire adapted from Okoli et al. (2018). Participants who answer fewer than 7 questions correctly will be excluded. Those who answer 7 or more questions correctly will receive an additional explanation from the research team. Only individuals who demonstrate a complete understanding of the study after this explanation will be enrolled.
• Unwilling to have the intervention sessions audio-recorded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Healing Stigma through Stories	Other: Healing Stigma through Stories; Four group sessions and four individual sessions, held once a week for a total of eight weeks. The program uses narrative therapy techniques to help participants explore their personal experiences and reduce self-stigma.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale	At baseline(T0) and through study completion, an average of 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Beck Depression Inventory-II	At baseline(T0) and through study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Self-Reported Graphic version of the Personal and Social Performance Scale	At baseline(T0) and through study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Subjective Happiness Scale	At baseline(T0) and through study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Herth Hope Index	At baseline(T0) and through study completion, an average of 8 weeks
The questionnaire about the process of recovery	At baseline(T0) and through study completion, an average of 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 7, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: schizophrenia; narrative therapy; self-stigma; mix-method study
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Mental Disorders; Schizophrenia; Psychotic Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: NYCU115040AF; 115-2314-B-A49 -082 - (Other Grant/Funding Number: National Science and Technology Council)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No