Preliminary evidence for the basis of self-concept in Chinese people with mental illness

Method: The Adult Source of Self-Esteem Inventory (ASSEI) (A.C. Elovson and J.S. Fleming, unpublished manuscript. California: California State University, 1989), open-ended questions on self- evaluation, and interviewing were adopted as the major procedures for identifying the sources and basis of the self- concepts of people with mental illness. One hundred and twenty three Hong Kong Chinese adults with mental illness participated in this study. Results: From the results, the basis of the self- concepts of people with mental illness was explored and compared through probing, comparing, and contrasting their perceptions of different aspects of life. A hierarchical multidimensional self- concept model of the population with mental illness was thus suggested. This model includes five major self- concept factors, named as interpersonal relationship, social integrity, personal competency, personal quality, and external achievement. The self-concept of people with mental illness was also compared to that of people without mental illness. This paper discusses the implications of the findings for psychiatric rehabilitation practice for people with mental illness.