CCE - social stigma and attitudes to mental health

Question 1

Doctors and Labelling:

what is their role?

Answer 1

Drs are responsible for –>

constructing diagnostic labels and disease categories (DSM V / ICD10)

Selecting and applying diagnostic labels to patients

Question 2

What is the effect of having a diagnostic label?

Answer 2

• Diagnostic labels are also SOCIAL labels, may affect a patient’s identity.
• Diagnostic labels can be helpful:
  
  • to access treatment, support and welfare
• Some conditions are stigmatising and have severe consequences for the patient.

Question 3

Define social stigma

Answer 3

The presence of an attribute that discredits its possessor.

Stems from negative and unfair beliefs that societies and groups have about a group of people.

Question 4

When does social stigma occur?

Who assigns this label?

What attributes are associated?

What does it lead to?

Answer 4

Social stigma occurs when individuals/ groups are labelled in a way that hurts their standing in society.

Assigned by society (or a group in society), changes overtime and is different between societies.

Associated with health conditions, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and disability.

Leads to discrimination.

Question 5

What conditions or impairments may be stigmatising?

Answer 5

• Obesity
• Alcohol dependence
• HIV/AIDs
• Physical impairment
• Hearing/ visual impairment
• mental illness
• psoriasis
• Certain cancers e.g. lung cancer (associated with smoking).

Question 6

What are the two main types of stigma related to experience?

Answer 6

1. Enacted stigma –> real experience of negative attitudes and discrimination
2. Felt stigma –> fear that discrimination or prejudice may occur

Question 7

What are the two types of stigma related to its degree of visibility?

Answer 7

Stigma may depend on the degree to which the attribute or condition is visible.

1) Discreditable stigma –> attribute/condition/ impairment not immediately obvious or known by many e.g. mastectomy.
2) Discrediting stigma –> obvious visible attribute or condition

Question 8

What sort of stigma may be felt during periods of wellness?

and during periods of illness?

Answer 8

During periods of wellness –> an individual may experience felt and discreditable stigma

During periods of illness –> an individual may experience enacted and discrediting stigma