8. LABELLING AND STIGMA (PART 1)

Question 1

1. What is a label?

Answer 1

• it is a name/title that represents a description/something

Question 2

2. Give some examples of Scientific labels.

Answer 2

• multiple sclerosis
• Down Syndrome
• mental retardation

NB: these are labels that are used to diagnose

Question 3

3. Give some examples of negative/derogatory labels.

Answer 3

• slow
• stupid

NB: these are social labels
: they are used to understand a situation or behaviour

Question 4

4. What common principle do both social and medical labels rely on?

Answer 4

• they both aim to give a meaning to something
• they are a medium of understanding

Question 5

5. What does medicine use scientific knowledge for?

Answer 5

• it uses it to identify and to group symptoms, diagnosis’s and treatments
• this is called a diagnostic label

Question 6

6. Why do people ascribe a label?

Answer 6

• they do this to feel that they are in control of what they do not understand
• people make assumptions for this same reason
• they are using what they know to try and make sense of what they do not

Question 7

7. What may people use Medical diagnosis to do?

Answer 7

• to justify and to support their own views
• they relate medical conditions to their discriminatory/stereotypical views

Question 8

8. Why is a label important socially?

Answer 8

• it can lead to stigma
  (stigmatisation is the social manifestation of a label)
• it can draw boundaries between the labelled and those who are labelling

Question 9

9. What is stigma?

Answer 9

• it is a label in action
• it is usually shown as discrimination and underestimation
• it causes people to treat those who are stigmatised in a certain way based on the labels the person is given

Question 10

10. Does a label have stigma attached?

Answer 10

• no
• it is a cognitive process
• stigma is taking the label and assigning negative/discriminatory behaviour to it

Question 11

11. Is a medical condition stigmatising automatically?

Answer 11

• NO
• a condition is first labelled
• it becomes stigmatising when it dissociates the possessor of this label from other people in any way
• it become stigma when the person who bears this label is brought shame

Question 12

12. Can people show stigma when they have extensive medical knowledge on a condition?

Answer 12

• no, they cannot
• this erases the stigma

Question 13

13. Why is HIV stigmatised?

Answer 13

• it is associated with personal responsibility, infection and promiscuity

Question 14

14. Why is Epilepsy stigmatised?

Answer 14

• it is a result of the disturbing epileptic episodes associated with the condition
• people have a lack of information/knowledge on the topic

Question 15

15. Why is Down Syndrome stigmatised?

Answer 15

• it is stigmatising due to its physical characteristics
• as well as its mental delay

Question 16

16. Why is Diabetes stigmatised?

Answer 16

• people associate it with self infliction and poor lifestyle choices
• people believe that a specific dietary regime is all that is needed

Question 17

17. What are the harmful effects of stigma?

Answer 17

• they may spoil the sufferer’s identity
• it may result in a self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 18

18. What is meant by the term self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 18

• a person may begin to behave according to the negative labels they have been given
• people may treat the person a specific way according to these labels
• the person will then start to believe they truly are their label
• they will behave the way they have been treated
• their identity changes in a negative way
• you become your stereotype and carry yourself to align with the observer’s opinion

Question 19

19. What does stigma lead to in a person?

Answer 19

• isolation
• low self esteem
• lack of societal acceptance
• low self efficacy (achieving their goals)
• patients are less likely to seek medical health
• patients are less likely to adhere to therapy

Question 20

20. Why is it important for medical practitioners to know about stigma?

Answer 20

• the doctors can communicate better with their patients when they are aware of stigma
• they can understand more about their patients
• they can establish good rapport
• this can improve a patient’s adherence
• they can help doctors be more empathetic
• they can help doctors be non-judgemental
• doctors with this knowledge, can provide patients support that is not just physical
• doctors can provide better diagnosis
• this can help doctors to stop the patient from experiencing chronic stress
• chronic stress is associated with many other health problems
• this is usually because patient’s cope with chronic health in very degenerative ways

Question 21

21. Can medical practitioners stigmatise their patients?

Answer 21

• there are cases in which health care professionals stigmatise their patients directly or indirectly

Question 22

22. How do doctors stigmatise their patients directly?

Answer 22

• they can refuse to treat a patient

(EG: a patient with AIDS)

Question 23

23. How do doctors stigmatise their patients indirectly?

Answer 23

• they devalue or underestimate the patient’s capability to understand their condition or treatment

Question 24

24. How can stigma be reduced?

Answer 24

• we can educate patients on how to deal with stigma when it does arise
• we can inform the public about the nature, causes and epidemiology of diseases
• this is so that they do not stigmatise as they have factual knowledge on the topic
  EPIDEMIOLOGY= the branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health
• we can inform the public about what stigma is and how it can affect people
• make them aware of the detrimental nature of stigma
• we can try and educate people from a young age about how to stop putting negative labels on people
• train health care professionals to address and actively work against stigmatising behaviour
• increase the exposure of the public to stigmatised groups so that they can be more understanding, respectful and accepting