Internalization Of Negative Stereotypes Research Articles

Self-stigma mediates the relationships between childhood maltreatment and symptom levels of PTSD, depression, and anxiety

ABSTRACT Background: Childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for developing multiple forms of psychopathology, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety. Yet, the mechanisms linking childhood maltreatment and these psychopathologies remain less clear. Objective: Here we examined whether self-stigma, the internalization of negative stereotypes about one's experiences, mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and symptom severity of depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Methods: Childhood trauma survivors (N = 685, Mage = 36.8) were assessed for childhood maltreatment, self-stigma, and symptoms of depression, PTSD, and anxiety. We used mediation analyses with childhood maltreatment as the independent variable. We then repeated these mediation models separately for childhood abuse and neglect, as well as the different subtypes of childhood maltreatment. Results: Self-stigma significantly mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression, PTSD, and anxiety symptoms. For sexual abuse – but not physical or emotional abuse – a significant mediation effect of self-stigma emerged on all symptom types. For childhood neglect, self-stigma significantly mediated the relationship between both emotional and physical neglect and all symptom types. Conclusion: Our cross-sectional study suggests that different types of childhood maltreatment experiences may relate to distinct mental health problems, potentially linked to increased self-stigma. Self-stigma may serve as an important treatment target for survivors of childhood abuse and neglect.

Themes Associated with Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Among People Attracted to Children.

Suicide represents a significant public health problem, with around 800,000 deaths per year worldwide and up to 20 times as many episodes of self-harm and suicide attempts. Members of stigmatized groups may experience increased risk of suicide due in part to stigma-related factors, such as expectations of rejection, internalization of negative stereotypes, or potential for greater social isolation. Research suggests that adults who are attracted to children face extreme stigma, even those who do not commit sexual crimes involving children. Adults who are attracted to children also experience significantly increased risk for suicidal ideation and behavior (SIB) compared to general population samples. The current study sought to explore experiences with SIB among adults attracted to children to better understand factors underlying suicidality in this population. The lead author conducted semi-structured interviews in a community sample of 15 adults attracted to children who self-reported some form of SIB in their lifetime. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the lead author explored and interpreted interview data to generate themes driven by respondents' characterizations of their SIB. Superordinate themes related to suicidality in this sample included low self-esteem or self-worth, cumulative impacts of the attraction and other stressors, and concerns about the ability to have a positive future due to the attraction. Findings underscore the importance of addressing internalized stigma, treating problems like depression and social isolation, and instilling hope for the future to promote mental health and prevent SIB among adults attracted to children.

Stigma, self-compassion, and psychological distress among people with Parkinson’s

Purpose People with Parkinson’s disease (hereafter Parkinson’s) can experience stigma through the attitudes and actions of others (enacted stigma) and through anticipation of enacted stigma and internalisation of negative stereotypes (felt stigma). Self-compassion may protect against the impact of stigma. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between self-compassion, stigma, and psychological distress among people with Parkinson’s. Methods A total of 130 people with Parkinson’s completed questionnaires measuring self-compassion, enacted and felt stigma, and depression, anxiety, and stress. Correlation, mediation, and moderation models were used to investigate relationships between variables. Results All variables correlated significantly in the expected directions. Felt stigma mediated the relationship between self-compassion and the three outcome variables – depression, anxiety, and stress. Self-compassion did not moderate the relationship between enacted stigma and distress and suggested enacted stigma was associated with distress, regardless of levels of self-compassion. Conclusions Self-compassion and both enacted and felt stigma are important predictors of distress for people with Parkinson’s. Part of the relationship between lower self-compassion and psychological distress appears to occur via the internalisation of stigma. These findings may be relevant to the development of individualised and societal interventions with the aim of improving the psychological wellbeing of people with Parkinson’s. Implications for rehabilitation Self-compassion was associated with lower levels of psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) and self-stigma partially mediated this relationship. Self-compassion did not moderate the relationship between enacted stigma and psychological distress, suggesting enacted stigma increases distress, regardless of self-compassion. The development and assessment of the effectiveness of compassion-focused interventions tailored for people with Parkinson’s may be important as well as systemic stigma focused interventions.

Life Challenges and Barriers to Help Seeking: Adolescents' and Young Adults' Voices of Mental Health.

Listening to the voices of adolescents and young adults regarding their lived experiences could be a way to identify important skills and abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that will enable youth to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Hence, the aim with the current study is to explore the experiences and understandings of the life situation among adolescents and young adults of today, by making their voices heard in regards to mental health and help-seeking behaviour. A total of 6 group interviews were conducted with 22 adolescents and young adults (13 girls and 9 boys) ages 17–25 (M = 18.6 years). Data analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis and resulted in two categories and five subcategories. The first category, Life challenges, included views on the sources of mental health, how to manage different types of relationships, and thoughts on accepted ways to express mental health problems. The second category, The need of present adults, highlighted important aspects for seeking help, such as an expressed need to be seen and heard by adults including parents, school staff, and other professionals as well as a need for adults’ increased availability. The challenges to students’ well-being and mental health are many, and there are no simple solutions. Based on the results in this study, life skills training should include elements to enhance the development of individual coping strategies, to be applied when life feels tough and when the body is experiencing stress reactions. Further, to minimize the risk of self-stigma and the internalization of negative stereotypes and self-blame, life skills training should include elements to increase knowledge of structural factors that have effects on the life situation as well as parents, school personnel, and other important adults.

“Do you find it normal to be so fat?” Weight stigma in obese gym users

Weight stigma is a negative social process that involves discrimination against overweight and obese people. Gyms are important environments to promote exercise where weight stigma can be a hindrance for obese exercise practitioners. This critical-oriented study provides evidence-based answers to this question: How do obese users experience weight stigma in gyms? Six obese gym users (BMI >30) participated in semi-structured interviews and provided visual data for photo-elicitation. A thematic analysis enabled the grouping of their experiences around weight stigma into three forms of discrimination: 1) direct: negative comments about body weight and body size; 2) indirect: internalization of negative stereotypes on weight, ability or appearance; 3) structural: explicit or symbolic rejection related with weight-centric exercise, equipment and recommendations implicit in marketing and advertising. The results provide evidence and interpretations of different forms of discrimination and inequality that operate in gyms, and how they affect obese users’ experiences. Based on these results, we compile a list of measures to prevent weight stigma and recommendations for exercise professionals to relate with obese users.

The Associations Between Internalized Racism, Racial Identity, and Psychological Distress.

Internalized racism, or the acceptance of negative stereotypes about one's own racial group, is associated with psychological distress; yet, few studies have explored the longitudinal impact of internalized racism on the psychological well-being of African American emerging adults. Furthermore, racial identity's role as a protective factor in the context of internalized racism remains unclear. This study examined the longitudinal impact of internalized racism on psychological distress (depressive and anxiety symptoms) and the moderating role of racial identity beliefs among 171 African American emerging adults. Full cross-lagged panel models revealed no main effects of internalized racism beliefs on psychological distress. However, several racial identity beliefs moderated the relationship between internalized racism beliefs and changes in psychological distress over a year later. Initial levels of alteration of physical appearance, internalization of negative stereotypes, and hair change internalized racism beliefs were related to subsequent psychological distress, but only for those with certain levels of racial centrality, private regard, public regard, and assimilationist, humanist, and nationalist ideology beliefs. These findings suggest that, over time, internalized racism and racial identity beliefs can combine to influence the psychological well-being of African American emerging adults.

Structure versus agency: a cross-national examination of discrimination and the internalization of negative stereotypes

ABSTRACTHow can we situate discrimination and the internalization of negative stereotypes in their contextual and structural determinants? To answer, I empirically examine linkages between structural inequalities, ethnic discrimination and the internalization of negative stereotypes. Data come from the UNDP, interrogating the lived experiences of Europe’s Roma population (N = 4651), utilizing a multilevel framework. I show that the relationship between stratification and stereotype internalization is more nuanced at the population level than what has been illustrated so far in controlled experimental research settings. Both structural inequality and discrimination influence the internalization of negative stereotypes. Ethnic discrimination and the internalization of negative stereotypes closely parallel each other. The above phenomena are distinctly influenced by factors such as gender, group educational attainment levels, group-level gendered income distributions and country-level political and economic contexts. My results show that in highly unequal environments, factors that we often think of as protective – such as higher education – may carry unintended consequences when it comes to the internalization of negative stereotypes. My analysis serves as an important first step in tracing the contours of the simultaneous effects of individual and structural discrimination on the internalization of negative stereotypes.

Adaptation into Spanish of the Internalised Stigma of Mental Illness scale to assess personal stigma

IntroductionPatients with schizophrenia sometimes internalise social stigma associated to mental illness, and they develop personal stigma. Personal stigma includes self-stigma (internalisation of negative stereotypes), perceived stigma (perception of rejection), and experienced stigma (experiences of discrimination). Personal stigma is linked with a poorer treatment adherence, and worst social functioning. For this reason, it is important to have good measurements of personal stigma. One of the most frequently used measurements is the Internalised Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale. There is a Spanish version of the scale available, although its psychometric properties have not been studied. The main aim of this study is to analyse the psychometric properties of a new Spanish version of the ISMI scale. Material and methodsThe new version was translated as Estigma Interiorizado de Enfermedad Mental (EIEM). Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were calculated in a sample of 69 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. The rate of patients showing personal stigma was also studied, as well as the relationship between personal stigma and sociodemographic and clinical variables. ResultsThe adapted version obtained good values of internal consistency and test–retest reliability, for the total score of the scale (0.91 and 0.95 respectively), as well as for the five subscales of the EIEM, except for the Stigma Resistance subscale (Cronbach's alpha 0.42). ConclusionsEIEM is an appropriate measurement tool to assess personal stigma in a Spanish population with severe mental disorder, at least in those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Self-stigma as a barrier to recovery: a longitudinal study

Stigma limits life opportunities of persons with mental illness. Self-stigma, the internalization of negative stereotypes, undermines empowerment and could hinder recovery. Here we examined self-stigma's effect on recovery among 222 disability pensioners with mental illness over 2years, controlling for age, gender, symptoms and recovery at baseline measured by the Recovery Assessment Scale. More self-stigma at baseline was associated with a significant decrease in recovery after 1year (not significant after 2years). An increase of self-stigma from baseline to follow-up predicted less recovery 1 and 2years later. Interventions that reduce self-stigma could therefore improve recovery.

The Defense of My Aging Self: A Report From the Field.

This article offers a field report-experiences, thoughts, and anecdotes-of my personal passage into older adulthood and my attempts to maintain a healthy sense of personhood in the context of the normative ageism in my world. Specifically, I illustrate how my career-long engagement with the scientific base of gerontology-particularly life-span developmental and social psychology-has been a key ally in informing my aging and in assisting my defense against internalization of negative stereotypes. Also, I offer some thoughts drawn from personal life experience that may inform research and application efforts designed to modify some of the psychological motives that sustain ageism in our shared environment.

Development and validation of the Internalized Racial Oppression Scale for Black individuals.

This article describes the development and validation of the Internalized Racial Oppression Scale (IROS) for Black individuals in 2 studies using a total sample of 468 Black college students. The IROS is intended to measure the degree to which racial oppression is internalized and replicated by Black individuals in the United States. An exploratory factor analysis suggested a five-factor solution: Belief in the Biased Representation of History (BRH), Devaluation of the African Worldview and Motifs (DAW), Alteration of Physical Appearance (APA), Internalization of Negative Stereotypes (INS), and Hair Change (HC). Confirmatory factory analysis supported an adequate model fit of a four-factor model: BRH, APA, INS, and HC. All factors of the IROS were positively correlated with the Pre-Encounter subscale of the Racial Identity Attitude Scale (RIAS-B; J. E. Helms & T. A. Parham, 1996), and 4 of the factors were negatively correlated with the Immersion/Emersion subscale of the RIAS-B. Four factors of the IROS were negatively correlated with all subscales and total scores of the African Self-Consciousness Scale (J. A. Baldwin & Y. R. Bell, 1985). These results provide some support of the validity of the IROS.