Perceived and anticipated stigma are relevant issues in patients with schizophrenia. Stigma has negative consequences both in quality of life and in the course of illness.

To analyze differences in perceived and anticipated discrimination in two groups of patients with schizophrenia: one with a recent diagnosis of illness and another with a long course of disease.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 100 patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia, 18 or more years old, clinically stabilized, without axis I DSM-IV comorbidity. Patients received treatment in the outpatient services of a catchment area in Madrid. Perceived and anticipated discrimination was evaluated trough the DISC-12 (Discrimination and Stigma scale). Other study variables were: socio-demographic status, length of disease, symptoms of depression (Calgary Scale) and functionality degree measured by Global Assessment of Function (GAF). Two sub-groups of patients were compared: one with a length of illness below 5 years and a second one with a length of illness over 5 years.

Patients with a length of illness longer than 5 years showed elevated degree of perceived and anticipated discrimination compared with patients with less than 5 years of illness course. In the same way, patients with a recent diagnosis of illness showed increased scores in the measure of face the stigma.

Preventive strategies to avoid the stigma in schizophrenia should consider some differences in patients in relationship with the length of evolution of illness in order to be more accurate. Early intervention programs about stigma are necessary.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.