Effects of Stigma

Stigma brings negative experiences and feelings followed by actions that result with the loss of
treatment and recovery opportunities.

Person Living with Addiction:

• Lack of understanding by family, friends, co-workers or others they know
• Fewer opportunities for work, school and/or social activities
• Trouble finding housing
• Being bullied or harassed
• Reluctance to seek help or treatment
• Health insurance doesn’t adequately cover treatment
• Doctors inaccurately attribute physical symptoms and behaviors to a person’s substance use
  disorder known as diagnostic overshadowing.

Families:

• Families reported they have fewer social connections
• They feel shame and responsibility
• They feel blamed when the family member living with addiction does not go through
  with treatment plan

Types of Stigma*

Public Stigma:
General public endorses stereotypes and prejudices that result in discrimination against people with mental illness. 
(Corrigan, Rose, Tsangm 2011)

Self-stigma:
Also called internalized stigma, happens when a person with mental illness or substance use disorder endorses negative stereotypes about themselves. (Barney, Griffiths, Jorm, &, Christensen, 2006)

Perceived Stigma:
Belief that stigmatizing ideas about mental illness and substance use disorders are held by others. (Brohan, Gauci, Sartorius, Thornicroft, 2011)

Label avoidance:
Choose not to seek mental health or substance use treatment to avoid being assigned a stigmatizing label, this can be the most dangerous type of stigma. (Corrigan, Watson, Byme & Davis, 2005)

Stigma by Association:
The effects of stigma are extended to someone linked to a person with mental health difficulties. (Van der Sanden et al, 2013)

Health Professional Stigma:
Any time a health professional allows negative views of mental illness or substance use disorders to affect the care of a patient. (Grappone, 2016) 

Structural Stigma:
Laws, institutional policies or other societal structures that result in decreased opportunities for people with mental illness or substance use disorders. (Corrigan, Markowitz & Watson, 2003)

* Used by permission from Gretchen Grappone's Overcoming Stigma presentation.