Stigmatization Process Research Articles

Unmasking the Aversive Stigmatizer: Integrating Deliberate and Automatic Cognition in the Study of Mental Health Stigma and Perceived Dangerousness

Scholars posit that mental health stigma may be the product of both deliberate (i.e., intentional and conscious) and automatic (i.e., effortless and nonconscious) cognitive processes. Yet, few sociological studies have empirically tested this theoretical assumption with valid measures of automatic cognition. This study integrates explicit and implicit stigma measures to investigate the presence of a potentially unique actor in the stigma process, the aversive stigmatizer: individuals who deliberately reject negative cultural stereotypes but still hold implicit mental illness-related biases that may inadvertently influence discriminatory behaviors. Findings suggest that a substantial portion of the sample are aversive stigmatizers and that these actors are disproportionately present among certain social groups. Thus, this study sheds light on a previously hidden population that likely contributes to prejudice and discrimination, as well as advances our theoretical understanding of both public stigma and self-stigma.

‘Just because I’m smiling doesn’t mean I’m not in pain’: navigating the layered stigma of chronic pain and suicidality in social worlds

ABSTRACT This article aims to provide an illustrated account of layered stigmatisation processes and consequences for those who experience chronic pain and accompanying suicidality. Using constructivist grounded theory, I draw from 20 in-depth interviews conducted from 2022 to 2023 to explore how chronic pain and suicidality operate within people’s social worlds. Findings demonstrate how layered stigmatising processes, occurring based on chronic pain and suicidality, operate consistently across multiple social arenas to create interactional troubles, which result in enduring negative social, emotional, and financial impacts. Three themes were constructed, including (1) self-stigma and the multiple roles of the family, (2) missed connections, and (3) anticipated stigma and workplace discrimination. Taken together, themes support the overarching category, ‘interactional troubles’. Findings suggest a need for attunement to stigmatising processes’ omnipresence and the depth of their consequences. Clinical interventions may benefit from emphasizing participants’ social worlds and incorporating the complexity of navigating social arenas given layered stigmatisation. Moreover, policies that support those with chronic pain and mental illness could offset the long-term negative economic consequences of discrimination.

Investigating AVHs narratives through text analysis: the proposal of Dialogic Science for tackling stigmatization

BackgroundAuditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are a significant symptom of various psychological conditions, often stigmatized and misunderstood. Moving beyond traditional psychological, psychotherapeutic and psychiatric approaches, recent research shifts focus on understanding AVHs through community perspectives and the resulting stigmatization. This research approach is crucial for better support and understanding of AVHs, however it still suffers from the lack of a rigorous and shared methodology for studying and reducing stigma.MethodsOur study, part of the Italian “PsicoVoice” project, aims to investigate community discourses on AVHs, in order to observe whether and to what extent they are drivers of stigmatisation processes. Engaging 268 participants with direct (hearers) and indirect (such as relatives and professionals) experiences of AVHs, the research analyzes a corpus of 54,320 instances using MADIT: a text analysis methodology which is both qualitative and quantitative. MADIT allows for an innovative examination of the rhetorical-argumentative structures within narratives, producing an index for measuring the narratives’ practical impact on people’ interactions around AVHs.ResultsThe analysis revealed that the overall community discourses are predominantly shaped by absolute and personal belief-driven modalities. This way of conveying sense, even with non-necessarily-judgmental words, contributes to a stigmatizing environment for individuals with AVHs, cementing a static representation dominated by personal opinions and reducing the potential for more nuanced, diverse interactions about AVHs.ConclusionThe study’s findings underscore the importance of addressing the narrative structures within community discourses. By intervening in these narratives, there is potential to shift towards a less stigmatizing social construction of AVHs. Thus, the article concludes using the results to provide some insights on how to generate these interventions. This approach could significantly impact how communities understand and interact with individuals experiencing AVHs, promoting more inclusive and supportive environments and interventions.

It's not who you know, but who you are: Explaining income gaps of stigmatized-caste business owners in India.

Scholars across disciplines and around the world have diverted research attention to rising income inequalities across groups and strategies to reduce them. The literature has broadly identified human capital and social capital as two potential tools to facilitate economic mobility and to reduce inequalities. However, it is not known whether these tools work equally well for stigmatized groups, particularly in societies with systemic inequalities. Analyzing data from a pan-India survey, we show that business owners from stigmatized groups (i.e., Dalits in India, who are stigmatized as untouchables) experience a business income gap of around 16% compared to others, including those business owners who are from communities that are disadvantaged but are not similarly stigmatized. We find that, instead of being reduced, this gap in fact increases at higher levels of social capital, especially bridging social capital, illustrating the social processes of stigmatization that limit the benefits that Dalits can reap from social capital. By contrast, Dalits can reap similar income benefits as others from human capital. Our results show that human capital helps stigmatized groups mitigate the implications of stigma, but social capital does not.

Stigmatized Artefacts: Towards a Relational Process of Artefact Stigmatization and Sanitization

Stigmatized Artefacts: Towards a Relational Process of Artefact Stigmatization and Sanitization

Affirmative Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Compassion-Based Group Intervention for Sexual Minorities (Free2Be): A Non-Randomized Mixed-Method Study for Feasibility with Exploratory Analysis of Effectiveness

ObjectivesDespite sexual minority (SM), i.e. individuals who identify as lesbian women, gay men, bisexual, or pansexual, individuals presenting worse mental health outcomes when compared to heterosexual individuals, they face more difficulties in accessing affirmative and quality health services. This study is a mixed-method non-randomized single-arm trial targeting SM individuals assessing the feasibility and exploratory findings from an affirmative mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion-based group intervention (Free2Be).MethodEighteen participants who self-identified as SM, with a mean age of 30.80 years old, underwent a face-to-face group intervention with 13 weekly sessions (Free2Be). Feasibility was assessed in three domains (acceptability, practicality, and preliminary effectiveness) with self-report questionnaires and hetero-report interviews, during and after the intervention, and using a mixed-methods approach. Using a pre–post and participant-by-participant design, changes were assessed in self-reported internalized stigma, psychopathology indicators, and mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion processes.ResultsThe Free2Be was acceptable and feasible in all three domains. Participants who completed the intervention (≥ 80% of attendance) revealed significant or reliable decreases in stress and social anxiety symptoms, self-criticism, and fear of compassion for the self.ConclusionsThe study provides evidence of the feasibility of the intervention. This affirmative mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion-based group intervention seems to be feasible and acceptable for SM individuals. These promising findings warrant further investigation within a pilot study.

Stigma and discrimination faced by adolescents living with HIV and experiencing depression in Malawi

BackgroundIn Malawi, approximately 25% of adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) also suffer from depression. Not only is HIV stigma a major contributor to depression but it also adversely impacts HIV care engagement. ALWH can experience HIV stigma as stereotyping, social exclusion, low social support, and abuse, and these experiences are associated with poor mental health. Despite recognition of the deleterious effects of HIV stigma, we have limited knowledge of how stigma is experienced by ALWH with comorbid depression. Guided by the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework, we describe stigma faced by ALWH and comorbid depression in Malawi and its implications for future interventions.MethodsAs part of a larger formative study to adapt a mental health counseling intervention, we conducted in-depth interviews, social support mapping sessions, and focus-group discussions with 25 ALWH, 4 caregivers of ALWH, 3 HIV providers, and 5 participants and 5 staff of a prior mental health counseling intervention. After analyzing the stigma codes, we used the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework to organize the data into four key domains: drivers, manifestations, outcomes, and health and social impacts.ResultsMajor drivers of HIV stigma included fear of HIV transmission, negative effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART), association with death, inaccurate knowledge, and negative attitudes towards ALWH. The most common manifestations of HIV stigma were gossip, insults and mocking, and physical and social distancing. Decreased ART adherence and missed HIV appointments were commonly cited outcomes of HIV stigma. Broader health impacts of HIV stigma were notable for mental health comorbidities including depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidality. Identified resilience strategies included support for HIV care engagement and psychosocial support from family and friends.ConclusionsThis study systematically describes the stigmatization process faced by ALWH and experiencing depressive symptoms in Malawi. Notably, HIV stigma continues to disrupt HIV care and detrimentally impacts mental health during adolescent development. Further studies focused specifically on stigma are needed to better characterize this process and identify additional resilience factors. Investment in stigma-reduction interventions for ALWH is needed to avert poor mental health and HIV outcomes.

STIGMA AND STIGMATIZATION IN A PEDAGOGICAL’S PROFESSIONAL WORK: SUBSTANTIVE AND INFORMATIVE ANALYSIS AND MODEL'S PRESENTATIONS

Background. The theory of stigma was popularized through research by sociologists M. Seeman and E. Goffman in the mid-1960s. The theoretical aspects of stigmatization presented in these works have made it possible to disseminate their results to different professions, including the teaching profession, and to construct a number of theoretical models of the processes of stigmatization of teachers. The component composition of such models is substantively based on theoretical studies carried out in the works of J.B. Pryor and G.D. Reeder. Research of this kind makes a significant contribution to stigma theory in terms of understanding that the processes of stigmatization of the educator’s personality can take different directions and how they are multidimensional; Societal perceptions of the teaching profession influence the level of stigmatization of the profession; acceptance of the stigma by the educator itself may result from an understanding of the social devaluation of the profession; Actors in a stigmatized pedagogical environment (such as family and friends) are at risk of social stigmatization; social institutions can perpetuate or exacerbate the stigmatized status of the teaching profession. Purpose. The article is aimed at presenting the theory of stigmatization of the teaching profession, as well as the development of an appropriate model and the analysis of its components, giving it qualitative certainty, reducing the risks of stigmatization and enhancing the value of the professional activity of the teachers Materials and methods. The practical and heuristic value of the study is that its findings broaden the existing understanding of the mechanisms of stigmatization and offer a productive tool for addressing the stigmatization of teaching professions in modern education, provide a vision of the key aspects to be further explored in this and related areas. The study used methods of comparative pedagogy, modeling method. Results. Based on the analysis of the scientific and methodical literature on the problem of stigmatization of individual professions, we proposed a model reflecting the basic concepts of the processes of stigmatization of the teaching profession in the field of education. The model identified the following main components: social stigma, self-stigma, associative stigma, structural stigma, primary and secondary personality relationships of the educator and learner. Social stigma is a key component of stigmatizing the teaching profession and underpins the subsequent components we have identified in this model. They also summarized the materials and highlighted the provisions that should be included in the theory describing the processes of stigmatization in education. This contributes to reducing the influence of the stigma formed in relation to the educational process or the profession of the teacher, and can have a positive influence on the status of the teacher, his professional identity and relationship with the students.

Stigma in homelessness and health care: reflections from a Housing First program in Barcelona, Spain

The experience of homelessness is associated with strong stigmatization processes, which are often reflected in the treatment received from professionals and the healthcare system itself. This article aims to analyze the experiences of participants in a program for homeless individuals in Barcelona called Primer la Llar within the healthcare system, and how the stigma they suffer affects the care processes. This program follows the Housing First model, a social intervention that proposes providing housing without preconditions to individuals with long histories of street living, who suffer from severe mental disorders and/or addictions. Based on individual interviews with 20 participants conducted between 2016 and 2020, it is observed that in certain cases, entering the program, having housing availability, support from professionals, and the development of their own strategies had positive effects on improving their health, although they continue to perceive discriminatory attitudes in some medical settings. It is suggested that the transformation regarding stigmatization be understood broadly, affecting individuals, institutions, and society as a whole.

Narratives of Disconnection: A Life Course Perspective of Methamphetamine Use Among Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV.

Sexual minority men (SMM) are exposed to societal and structural stressors that translate into poor health outcomes. One such outcome is substance use, which research has long documented as a prominent disparity among SMM. Methamphetamine is a particularly deleterious substance for SMM because its use is often framed as a coping response to social and structural stressors. Guided by stress and coping theory and a life course perspective, the purpose of this qualitative study is to assess the development of coping strategies in the context of prominent social and structural determinants among SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine. Data were collected from 2016 to 2018 via in-depth interviews with 24 SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine in San Francisco, CA. Mean age of participants was 47 and over half self-identified as ethnoracial minorities. Narrative analysis surfaced a sequential pattern of disconnection at foundational, relational, and recovery levels. This analysis revealed that multi-level stressors were present across the life course that amplified engagement in methamphetamine use. Findings highlight the benefits of holistic, integrated, and trauma-informed approaches to address the function of methamphetamine use as a response to societal, cultural, and institutional processes of stigmatization and discrimination. Peer-based approaches may also be beneficial to reframe the ways in which SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine form and sustain relationships.

Reintroducing the “Tough Black Man” and Its Socio-Demographic, Race-Related, and Psychological Correlates

The “tough Black man” is expected to be physically strong, emotionally restrictive, resilient, and self-reliant. However, to date, limited research has examined the correlates of endorsing beliefs about the “tough Black man” among Black U.S. American men. To address this gap, this research examines the sociodemographic (i.e., age, sexual identity, income, education, and relationship status), race-related (i.e., racial identity, internalized racism, everyday discrimination, and race stigma consciousness), and psychological (i.e., self-esteem, locus of control, resilience, and depression symptoms) correlates of endorsing “tough Black man” beliefs in an internet-obtained sample of 329 Black U.S. American men (Mean age = 37.22). Multiple regression analysis showed that a more positive racial identity, greater internalized racism, and higher race stigma consciousness—but not everyday discrimination experiences—were associated with greater endorsement of “tough Black man” beliefs. Multivariate regression results showed that greater endorsement of “tough Black man” beliefs was associated with greater resilience, greater internal locus of control, and more depression symptoms, but not self-esteem. Last, exploratory findings showed that endorsing beliefs about the “tough Black man” did not vary by age, income, education, relationship status, or sexual identity. This study has implications for understanding Black masculinities, along with the psycho-social and psychological correlates of internalizing intersecting race and gender stereotypes among Black U.S. American men. Together, our research provides the opportunity to expand knowledge about how internalized stigma processes, beliefs about Black manhood, and the social-structural factors that might explain it, contribute to poor health among Black U.S. American men.

A Bayesian network analysis to examine the effects of HIV stigma processes on self-concept and depressive symptoms among persons living with HIV.

This study examines the relationships between HIV stigma dimensions, self-related mechanisms, and depressive symptoms among persons living with HIV. HIV stigma hinders the well-being of individuals living with HIV, which is linked to depressive symptoms and increased risk of poor clinical outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying stigma's impact on depression are poorly understood. Psychosocial theories propose that experiencing HIV stigma leads to internalized stigma, impacting self-concept and mental health. Using Bayesian network analysis, we explored associations among HIV stigma processes (experienced, anticipated, internalized, perceived community stigma, and HIV status disclosure) and self-related mechanisms (self-esteem, fear of negative evaluation [FNE], self-blame coping, and social exclusion), and depressive symptoms. Our diverse sample of 204 individuals, primarily men, gay/bisexual, Black, and lower-middle SES, who experienced stigma showed increased anticipated, internalized, and perceived community stigma, FNE, and depressive symptoms. Internalized stigma contributed to self-blame coping and higher depressive symptoms. Anticipated and perceived community stigma and FNE correlated with increased social exclusion. This study investigates potential mechanisms through which HIV stigma may impact depression. Identifying these mechanisms establishes a foundation for future research to inform targeted interventions, enhancing mental health and HIV outcomes among individuals living with HIV, especially from minority backgrounds. Insights gained guide evidence-based interventions to mitigate HIV stigma's detrimental effects, ultimately improving overall well-being and health-related outcomes for people with HIV.

Stereotype-driven emotional responses and their impact on discriminatory intentions towards suicidal individuals

BackgroundThis research delves into the role of stereotypes and emotional prejudice in behavioral intentions, particularly towards individuals with suicidal tendencies. The study extends the cognitive-affective-behavioral process model, identifying pathways that negative stereotypes use to impact emotional responses and behavioral intentions.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted in South Korea, utilizing the largest Korean online panel (1,623,938 users) to recruit 552 eligible participants (49.1% male, 50.9% female) aged 20 and above with online access and no history of suicide attempts. The survey assessed negative stereotypes, prejudices, and behavioral intentions related to suicidal thoughts, employing specific measurements.ResultsThe findings established the correlation between negative stereotypes and both stigmatized emotional responses and discriminatory intentions. The study uniquely demonstrated that emotional responses act as a bridge between negative stereotypes and behavioral intentions towards suicidal individuals. These findings carry profound implications for health psychology, emphasizing the necessity of modifying attitudes to reduce suicide stigma. It was observed that stereotypical perceptions fuel negative emotions, which in turn provoke various behavioral intentions.ConclusionsThe study enhances our understanding of the influential role emotional reactions can have in shaping attitudes. It points towards the potential that addressing emotions holds in the stigma process, enabling people to shift their attitudes about stigmatized individuals, thus establishing intervention opportunities for stigma reduction in health psychology.

The Relationship Between Social Stigma and Career Decisions of Individualized and Freelance Male Sex Workers

Switching from a white-collar professional to a sex worker is not an easy step, particularly for individuals with a postgraduate degree in South Korea who may have significant expectations from their parents, peers, and communities. Based on the social stigma theory and social cognitive career and motivation theory, this study aims to understand how stress and pressure impact the motivations, career decisions, and decision-making processes of individualized and freelance male sex workers and their career transition experiences in South Korea. Based on the thematic analysis, ten highly educated male sex workers joined and shared their experiences. The researchers categorized three main finding themes, including (a) not liking the office and white-collar positions, (b) not wanting to hide sexuality as gay and bisexual men, and (c) financial considerations play a significant role in experiences and career decision-making processes. This study examined the social stigma, challenges, and career decision-making processes of male sex workers who previously held white-collar positions in South Korea but switched to sex work after a few years of service. Based on the outcomes of this study based upon the voices from the male sex workers, government leaders and non-profit organizational workers should use this study as a reference to establish support and plans to help sex workers due to their situations and social challenges.

Stigma in marketing and consumer research: A literature review and research agenda

AbstractStigma is a discrediting attribute that emerges in social interactions, playing different roles in different contexts. Several fields (e.g., sociology and psychology) have dedicated special attention to this phenomenon as it significantly impacts people's lives. Although there is some interest in the idiosyncrasies of stigma in marketing and consumer behavior, the literature investigating such a concept is still fragmented. This systematic literature review addresses the stigma concept in marketing and consumer behavior studies by analyzing 82 articles directly approaching stigma in empirical studies. As to the contributions of our study: (1) it synthesizes the literature on stigma in marketing and consumer research, presenting the state‐of‐the‐art in this domain; (2) our two‐step thematic analyses combine a descriptive assessment of our sample by using consolidated models from socio‐psychology and an examination of the articles from the perspective of the dynamic nature of stigma in the marketplace and the processes of stigmatization and destigmatization; (3) it put forward a future research agenda suggesting research avenues worth exploring by marketing and consumer behavior researchers to advance knowledge on marketplace stigma. We found that stigma is a topic that fits in a wide range of theories, contexts, and methods in marketing and consumer behavior literature.

Advancing a critical postmodern approach to stigma management communication (SMC) theory in the context of difficulty orgasming

ABSTRACT Addressing calls for increased communication scholarship that interrogates power in stigma processes, we develop a critical postmodern approach to stigma management communication (SMC) theory and demonstrate how it can be used in the context of difficulty orgasming. Semi-structured interviews with mostly white, cisgender women experiencing orgasm difficulties in mixed-sex relationships (N = 31) revealed how dominant discourse creates an idealized standard of sexual behavior that stigmatizes women with orgasm difficulties, and how stigma management strategies act as discursive practices that reify, resist, and transform the status quo. We extend SMC theory by articulating a critical postmodern approach that can be used to interrogate power in stigma processes, and by illuminating how stigma management strategies are enacted in varied ways and toward different ends. Practically, our findings underscore the need for multifaceted interventions aimed at addressing the underlying causes of stigma and offer recommendations for reducing stigma through health campaigns, programming, and care.

“You Can’t Go to the Dance Because You Don’t Have a Male Role Model in Your Life”: Heteronormativity, Stigmatization, and Daddy-Daughter Dances

ABSTRACT Gender-specific community and school events such as father-daughter dances are being challenged across the United States for stigmatizing diverse families. Taking the cue from communities that have problematized gender-specific events, the authors investigated the function and impact of these events and how excluded families perceived and responded to their stigmatization. The authors conducted archival media research and semi-structured interviews with parents and stakeholders. The archival research finds that gender-specific events produced formal and informal exclusion through a stigmatizing ideology of heteronormativity and gender stereotyping. The interview research finds the exclusion of children and families produced experiences of emotional distress, devaluation, and missed social opportunities. Parents challenged gender-specific events to disrupt heteronormative stigmatization for themselves and their communities and because they believed public institutions should practice inclusion. To our knowledge, this is the first empirical study on gender-specific community and school events in the United States. By bringing together stigma process and stigma management theories, the findings reveal the multifaceted harm gender-specific events can cause and suggest a need for policy changes to create more equitable school and community practices. This study reveals how communities can improve equity, as well children and families’ well-being, by adapting gender-specific events to be inclusive.

Intersectional Design for an Accessible and Empowering World: Views from the 8th Forum of Design as a Process

Intersectionality is increasingly suggested as an innovative framework with the potential to advance the understanding and the action towards contrasting inequalities, by highlighting processes of stigmatisation and by encouraging a critical reflection to move beyond singular categories. The contribution explore the relation between the intersectional approach and design cultures and practices by presenting the main outcomes of Track 2 “Intersectional Design for an Accessible and Empowering World” in the frame of the 8th International Forum of Design as a Process. The contributions collected in this frame represent a wealth of practices, methods and applications that show how the theoretical contribution linked to the topic of intersectionality can be applied to the co-creation of innovation in design-driven practices in diversified geographies.

CONSTRUÇÃO DE ESTEREÓTIPOS E OBJETIFICAÇÃO DA POPULAÇÃO NEGRA NA SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA- UM OLHAR HISTORIOGRÁFICO

Article elaborated as a course conclusion work of specialization in Afro-Brazilian History and Culture, based on the historiography of slavery and post-abolition of the black population in Brazil, and its repercussions on the mentality and culture that generates common sense in the country. Analyzing, exposing and relating various contexts and historical dynamics, it makes a succinct but concise approach to the process of dehumanization of racialized people as "negres" and the consequent view of utilities to this day. The process of stigmatization and feeding of stereotypes, which conditions such individuals to predetermined social places, and exclusion, is the main focus; in order to contribute to the understanding of the strength that the slave-based historical process had in structuring the exclusion of the black population in Brazil and its consequent naturalization of this exclusion and marginalization.

“A Mercenary, a Thug … not Even a Journalist”: The Stigmatization of News Workers in Mexico

ABSTRACT This article proposes a novel approach to anti-press discourse by defining it as stigmatization of journalists and developing a case study on the most dangerous country for the practice of journalism in the world, Mexico. It examines the process of stigmatization of news workers during the López Obrador administration (2018–2024), stressing its escalation after a feature that exposed the luxurious lifestyle of the Mexican president’s eldest son was published in January 2022. Drawing upon Goffman and Link and Phelan, it analyzes how the labeling, stereotyping, separation and status loss of these actors are strategically aimed at shattering their performance of professionalism through an assault on their authority and credibility.