The Relationship Between Mental Illness Stigma and Self-Labeling

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Author(s)Fox, Annie B.
Author(s)Earnshaw, Valerie A.
Date Accessioned2023-03-07T15:17:35Z
Date Available2023-03-07T15:17:35Z
Publication Date2022-11-07
Description“©American Psychological Association, 2022. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. The final article is available in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, upon publication, at: https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000552
AbstractObjective: One way that stigma may interfere with treatment-seeking is its impact on whether an individual self-labels as someone with mental illness (MI). While identifying and labeling oneself as experiencing MI is an important early step in seeking treatment, self-labeling may also make individuals more susceptible to the negative effects of internalized, anticipated, and experienced stigma. In the present study, we examined the relationship between MI stigma and self-labeling. We hypothesized that endorsement of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination would be higher among those individuals who do not self-label and that those who did self-label would endorse higher levels of anticipated, internalized, and experienced stigma. Method: We conducted a survey of stigma and mental health via MTurk. The sample included 257 individuals who met criteria for a current probable diagnosis of depression, generalized anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We compared those individuals who responded “yes” to ever experiencing MI (n = 202) to those who responded “no” (n = 52) on demographic variables, mental health symptoms and treatment history, and stigma. Results: Individuals who did not self-label as having MI were more likely to be younger, male, and single. They also endorsed higher levels of stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and experienced stigma. Self-labelers endorsed more internalized stigma than those who did not self-label. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Findings suggest that associations between stigma and self-labeling are complex. Consistent with modified labeling theory, stigma may both act as a barrier to adopting a label of MI and increase vulnerability to stigma if the label is adopted. Impact and Implications: Individuals who do not self-label as having a mental illness (MI) endorse higher levels of stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and experienced stigma; individuals who self-label as having MI endorse higher levels of internalized stigma compared to non-self-labelers. Stigma may therefore act both as a barrier to adopting a label of MI and increase vulnerability to stigma if the label is adopted.
CitationFox, A. B., & Earnshaw, V. A. (2022). The relationship between mental illness stigma and self-labeling.Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000552
ISSN1559-3126
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/32387
Languageen_US
PublisherPsychiatric Rehabilitation Journal
Keywordsmental illness
Keywordsstigma
Keywordsself-labeling
Keywordslabeling
TitleThe Relationship Between Mental Illness Stigma and Self-Labeling
TypeArticle
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