Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between cognitive insight and internalized stigma among patients with first episode psychosis (FEP;illness duration less than 2 years) in clinical remission and explore if there exists any difference in the same in patients with chronic schizophrenia in remission Background: Very few studies have tried to evaluate the relationship between cognitive insight and internalized stigma in patients with chronic schizophrenia, but this aspect has not been evaluated in patients with FEP 
Materials and Methods: 58 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 24 patients with FEP (diagnosed as per the DSM-IV criteria) in clinical remission were assessed on Beck Cognitive Insight scale (BCIS), Positive and Negative symptom scale (PANSS),Internalised Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMIS) Participation Scale (P-Scale) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Results and Conclusions: Patients with FEP had experienced low degree of internalized stigma (4.2%) but had higher restriction in participation (91.7%) when compared with patients with chronic schizophrenia. Higher cognitive insight in the form of higher cognitive self-reflectiveness was associated with higher level of stigma in the domains of alienation, stereotype endorsement, discrimination experience, social withdrawal and total stigma score in patients with FEP and higher cognitive insight in the form of beck’s composite score was associated with higher social withdrawal and total stigma score. 
Conclusion: Although patients with FEP have low levels of internalized stigma as compared to patients with chronic schizophrenia, but there exists strong relationship between cognitive insight in the form of greater self-reflectiveness in the FEP with almost all domains of internalized stigma except stigma resistance.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERNALIZED STIGMA AND COGNITIVE INSIGHT IN PATIENTS WITH FIRST EPISODE SCHIZOPHRENIA – COMPARISON WITH PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENIA