Stigma is when someone views us negatively because we have characteristics or personal traits that are considered, or actually are, detrimental (negative stereotypes).
Unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people with mental health conditions are common. Stigma can lead to discrimination.
Where the meaning of discrimination may be obvious and direct, such as someone making a negative comment about mental illness or our treatment.
Or it may be unintentional or subtle, such as someone avoiding us because that person sees us as unstable, abusive, or dangerous because of our mental illness.
This can of course have harmful repercussions that include reluctance to seek help or treatment, lack of understanding from family, friends, co-workers or others, and others.
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What Is Stigma?
Social stigma can also be associated with other characteristics including gender, sexuality, race, religion and culture.
Unfortunately, the stigma around mental health is still common. Although stigma is not limited to mental conditions, attitudes toward psychiatric illness tend to be more negative than attitudes toward medical conditions.
Historically, mental illness has a long history in societies around the world. From being perceived as a sign of the devil to being considered a moral punishment, the ideologies surrounding the etiology of mental illness vary widely.
As a result, medicine has historically not always made scientific sense and was brutal and inhumane. Dating back to Neolithic times, trephining , for example, involved cutting a hole in a person’s skull to release evil spirits.
The treatment of mental illness has advanced rapidly since then, but the fields of psychology and psychiatry are relatively young and have a long way to go.
Stigma arises out of fear and lack of understanding. It has survived even with greater knowledge of the biochemical and genetic properties of the different conditions.
Representation of mental illness in the mass media can add to the stigma. As scientists continue to learn more about the causes of mental illness and develop effective treatments, it is hoped that the stigma will decrease.
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Definition of Stigma
Stigma is a negative stereotype and Stigma is a reality for many people with mental illness, and they report that the way others perceive them is one of their biggest barriers to achieving a full and fulfilling life.
Stigma is different from examples of discrimination. As has been said that stigma is a negative stereotype, while discrimination is a behavior that results from these negative stereotypes.
Discrimination is unfair treatment because of a person’s identity, which includes race, ancestry, place of origin, skin color, ethnicity, nationality, belief, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability, including mental disorders.
Discrimination can be open or in the form of systemic (covert) discrimination. Often, individuals with mental illness are faced with multiple layers of criss-crossing discrimination as a result of their mental illness and identity.
Definition of Stigma According to Experts
The definition of stigma according to experts, among others:
1. Goffman (1959)
The definition of stigma is as all forms of physical and social attributes that can reduce a person’s social identity, thereby disqualifying that person from the acceptance of others.
2. Mansyur (1997)
The definition of stigma is as a negative characteristic attached to a person’s personality because of the influence of his environment.
3. Scheid & Brown (2010)
Stigma is a phenomenon that occurs when a person is given labeling, stereotypes, separation, and experiences discrimination.
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Type of Stigma
The stigma associated with mental illness can be divided into two types:
1. Social stigma , which involves the prejudiced attitudes others have around mental illness.
2. Self-perceived stigma , which involves the internal stigma suffered by people with mental illness.
Larson & Corrigan; Werner, Goldstein, & Heinik (2011) suggested three types of stigma, namely:
1. Structural stigma
Namely the stigma that refers to imbalances and injustice when viewed from social institutions. For example, stigma that refers to the low quality of care provided by health professionals becomes individual or group stigma.
2. Community stigma
which is a stigma that describes the negative reaction or assessment of society towards people with mental disorders.
3. Stigma by association
Namely stigma in the form of discrimination because of having a relationship with a stigmatized individual.
Butt, et al (2010) suggested four levels of stigma, namely:
- The self , namely the various internal mechanisms that are made by oneself, which we call self-stigmatization.
- Society , namely the stigma in the form of gossip, abuse, and ostracism at the cultural and societal level.
- Institutions , namely stigma in the form of preferential treatment or discrimination within institutions.
- Structure , namely the stigma on broader institutions such as poverty, racism, and colonialism which continues to discriminate against a particular group.
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Causes of Stigma
Some common causes of stigma include:
1. Afraid
Fear is a common cause of stigma. This may be the fear of contracting a contagious (or perceived so) disease, such as leprosy, HIV/AIDS or most NTDs.
In the case of leprosy, there may be fear of the physical consequences of leprosy; in the case of HIV/AIDS, perhaps the fear of death. It may also be a fear of people who are perceived as dangerous, such as those with mental illness.
Unforeseen situations can also cause fear, such as with people with epilepsy. Fear can generate stigma among members of the public or among health workers, but also among people affected by the condition themselves, who may fear infecting loved ones such as children (eg through breastfeeding) or other family members.
They may fear the social consequences of disclosing their condition. This is actually a fear of stigma. This is common in people with leprosy or other NTDs that cause permanent disability and can cause anxiety.
2. Unattractiveness
Several conditions can cause people to be perceived as unattractive, especially in cultures where external beauty is highly valued.
In such cases, persons with visible disturbances on their faces, as might occur with cutaneous leishmaniasis, yaws, Buruli ulcer or advanced leprosy, may be turned away simply because of their appearance.
3. Association
Stigma with association is also known as ‘symbolic stigma’. This can happen if a health condition is associated with a condition that is considered undesirable. Examples are conditions related to commercial sex work, drug use, sexual orientation, poverty or job loss.
A condition can also become more stigmatized because it is associated with other conditions. An example is tuberculosis and its relationship with HIV/AIDS.
4. Values and beliefs
Definitions of values and beliefs also have a strong influence in creating or maintaining stigma. An example is a belief about the cause of a condition, such as a belief that a mental illness or disability is divinely cursed or caused by sin in a past life.
Likewise, the perception that leprosy or mental illness is hereditary can cause the whole family to be branded by association. Certain cultures may have certain stereotypes or prejudices about people with certain conditions.
Such stereotypes may be conscious or unconscious. This may concern the way people behave, whether they are reliable, loyal, etc. Based on this, negative attitudes can spread throughout society.
6. Policy or law
Policies about how and where conditions are treated can create stigma. This is usually seen when there is forced separation or treatment of affected persons in a separate location, such as a leprosy clinic or clinic for sexually transmitted diseases which is separate from the rest of the hospital. Special clinic days or hours in the outpatient department can have the same consequences.
Another example is immigration or employment policies that require people with certain conditions to declare their status.
Laws may be discriminatory, permitting divorce on the grounds that the spouse has or developed certain health conditions or prohibiting persons with certain conditions from public office, elections or land ownership.
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Stigma Impact
The consequences of stigma can be very serious and devastating. Stigma causes a lack of understanding from others. Stigma also has more serious consequences, including triggering fear, anger, and intolerance towards others. People who experience stigma are more likely to experience:
- Reluctance to seek treatment
- Delayed treatment, which increases morbidity and mortality
- Social rejection, avoidance, and isolation
- Worse psychological well-being
- Bad understanding among friends and family
- Harassment, violence, or bullying
- Poor quality of life, disability, and increased socio-economic burden
- Increased feelings of shame and self-doubt
To overcome these negative impacts, several steps can be taken, namely:
1. Get treatment
We may be reluctant to admit that we need care. Don’t let the fear of being labeled a mental illness keep you from seeking help. Treatment can provide assistance with identifying what is wrong and reducing symptoms that interfere with our work and personal lives.
2. Don’t let stigma create doubt and shame
Stigma doesn’t just come from other people. We may mistakenly believe that our condition is a sign of personal weakness or that we should be able to control it without help.
Seeking counseling, educating yourself about your condition and connecting with others with mental illness can help gain self-esteem and overcome destructive self-judgments.
3. Don’t isolate yourself
If we suffer from a mental illness, we may be reluctant to tell anyone about it. Our family, friends, clergy or community members can offer support if they learn about our mental illness. Reach out to people we trust for the love, support, and understanding we need.
4. Do not equate ourselves with our disease
We are not a disease. So instead of calling yourself “schizophrenic,” say “I have schizophrenia.”
5. Join a support group
Several local and national groups, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), offer local programs and Internet resources that help reduce stigma by educating people with mental illness, their families, and the general public.
6. Get help at school
If you or your children have a mental illness that affects learning, find out what plans and programs can help. Discrimination against students because of mental illness is against the law, and educators at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels are required to accommodate students as best they can. Talk to teachers, professors or administrators about the best approaches and resources. If a teacher doesn’t know about a student’s disability, it can lead to discrimination, learning barriers and poor grades.
7. Speak against the stigma
Consider sharing your opinion at events, in a letter to the editor or on the internet. This can help instill courage in others facing similar challenges and educate the public about mental illness.
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Stigma example
Examples of how stigma develops include:
- Media depictions in which criminals are often characters with mental illness
- Stereotypes that harm people with mental illness
- Treating mental health problems as if they were something people could overcome if they just “worked harder” or “got out of it”
- Using phrases like “he’s crazy” to describe other people or their behavior
- Halloween costumes depicting people with mental illness as violent and dangerous
This is the complete article that we can present to you about the meaning of stigma according to experts, its types, causes, impacts, and examples in society. Hopefully this will provide insight for all those who need it.