Purpose: This study determined the stigmatization experiences of parents with a child who received inpatient treatment at the psychiatry clinic in Turkey.
Method: A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted. The study sample consisted of 15 parents. The data were evaluated using the thematic analysis method.
Findings: According to the data analysis, six themes and eight subthemes were created. These themes were exclusion, labeled, hiding the child's disorder, positive discrimination, coping strategies, and despair.
Conclusion: This study determined that all participant parents were exposed to stigmatization in many areas and tried to hide their child's diagnosis.
Practical implications: Mental health and psychiatric nurses should support the patient's parents to share and express both theirs and their child's stigmatization experiences.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.