What is stigma and how does it affect you?

What Is Stigma? Stigma involves negative attitudes or discrimination against someone based on a distinguishing characteristic such as a mental illness, health condition, or disability. Social stigmas can also be related to other characteristics including gender, sexuality, race, religion, and culture.

Why is it important to address stigma in health facilities?

Stigma in health facilities undermines diagnosis, treatment, and successful health outcomes. Addressing stigma is fundamental to delivering quality healthcare and achieving optimal health.

What are the social stigmas associated with mental health?

Social stigmas can also be related to other characteristics including gender, sexuality, race, religion, and culture. Unfortunately, stigma surrounding mental health is still common. While stigma is not limited to mental conditions, attitudes towards psychiatric illnesses tend to be more negative than that toward medical conditions.

What is the difference between health condition-related and non-health-related stigma?

Stigma is brought to bear on individuals or groups both for health (e.g., disease-specific) and non-health (e.g., poverty, gender identity, sexual orientation, migrant status) differences, whether real or perceived. Health condition-related stigma is stigma related to living with a specific disease or health condition.

Stigma is due to misunderstanding as well as to prejudice. Stigma can lead to a lack of support or empathy for people with a mental illness, leaving people embarrassed, misunderstood, and marginalised. Stigma can cause more than hurt feelings.

How do you overcome the stigma of mental health?

Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness 1 Get treatment. 2 Don’t let stigma create self-doubt and shame. 3 Don’t isolate yourself. 4 Don’t equate yourself with your illness. 5 Join a support group. 6 (more items)

What is the Stigmawatch program?

StigmaWatch is a SANE Australia program which represents people affected by mental illness, campaigning for improved understanding, fair representation,and stigma reduction in the media.