Week 3: Learning Goals
Lecture 5: Learning Goals
1. To identify and distinguish the different types of stigmas
Defining Stigma
Stigma is described as social rejection – resulting from negatively perceived characteristics
- This rejection leads to the spoiled identity of the one stigmatized
There are four qualities of stigma – whereby:
1) Individual differences are recognized
2) These differences are perceived by society as negative
3) The stigmatized group is seen as the outgroup
4) The end result is a loss of opportunity, power or status
From a social-cognitive perspective – stigma includes the following components:
1) Cognitive – i.e., stereotypes
2) Affective – i.e., prejudice
3) Behavioral – i.e., discrimination
Stigma Components
Stereotype (cognitive) Overgeneralization about a person based on a membership
Prejudice (affective) Agreement with the stereotype and negative emotions toward the
person
Discrimination (behavioral) Unfair acts toward groups or group members
Stigma Types
, Public Stigma What society believes about individuals with mental illness – e.g., lack
of eye contact, complete ostracization of individuals based on
membership in stigmatized group
Common stigmatizing beliefs – those with mental illnesses are
threatening, aggressive, unpredictable, incompetent
Results in keeping a distance and avoiding contact
Only 2% of public recognize symptoms of a PD
People with PDs do not seek help as they do not know they have an
illness
People with PDs show “bad behavior” – e.g., anger attacks, suicidal
behavior, self-mutilation
OCPD receive more sympathy due to similarities with OCD – seen
as having been traumatized in childhood and that treatment would
be effective
BPD and ASPD – seen as bad behavior and untreatable
Self-Stigma When public stigma becomes internalized – one starts to believe the
negative societal attitudes and may result in low self-esteem,
depression, or lack of motivation
Can result in difficulties with identity, feelings of shame,
withdrawal from society and isolation, not seeking help
Label avoidance – rejections of caregivers to put label on loved
ones as a way to forbade stigmatization
Adolescents – stigmatization of BPD is much higher compared to
other disorders
Structural Stigma When stigmatizing beliefs and attitudes lead to unfair social
institutions and policies for the stigmatized group
Common beliefs about people with PDs include that they are
pathetic, incompetent, aggressive, unpredictable, manipulative,
difficult, a burden
Behavior instead of disorder
The biological basis in PDs is 50% - a lot more than people believe
Fear of diagnosing young people with PD – BAD!
Patients do not seek help for their PDs – but for the consequences
Lecture 5: Learning Goals
1. To identify and distinguish the different types of stigmas
Defining Stigma
Stigma is described as social rejection – resulting from negatively perceived characteristics
- This rejection leads to the spoiled identity of the one stigmatized
There are four qualities of stigma – whereby:
1) Individual differences are recognized
2) These differences are perceived by society as negative
3) The stigmatized group is seen as the outgroup
4) The end result is a loss of opportunity, power or status
From a social-cognitive perspective – stigma includes the following components:
1) Cognitive – i.e., stereotypes
2) Affective – i.e., prejudice
3) Behavioral – i.e., discrimination
Stigma Components
Stereotype (cognitive) Overgeneralization about a person based on a membership
Prejudice (affective) Agreement with the stereotype and negative emotions toward the
person
Discrimination (behavioral) Unfair acts toward groups or group members
Stigma Types
, Public Stigma What society believes about individuals with mental illness – e.g., lack
of eye contact, complete ostracization of individuals based on
membership in stigmatized group
Common stigmatizing beliefs – those with mental illnesses are
threatening, aggressive, unpredictable, incompetent
Results in keeping a distance and avoiding contact
Only 2% of public recognize symptoms of a PD
People with PDs do not seek help as they do not know they have an
illness
People with PDs show “bad behavior” – e.g., anger attacks, suicidal
behavior, self-mutilation
OCPD receive more sympathy due to similarities with OCD – seen
as having been traumatized in childhood and that treatment would
be effective
BPD and ASPD – seen as bad behavior and untreatable
Self-Stigma When public stigma becomes internalized – one starts to believe the
negative societal attitudes and may result in low self-esteem,
depression, or lack of motivation
Can result in difficulties with identity, feelings of shame,
withdrawal from society and isolation, not seeking help
Label avoidance – rejections of caregivers to put label on loved
ones as a way to forbade stigmatization
Adolescents – stigmatization of BPD is much higher compared to
other disorders
Structural Stigma When stigmatizing beliefs and attitudes lead to unfair social
institutions and policies for the stigmatized group
Common beliefs about people with PDs include that they are
pathetic, incompetent, aggressive, unpredictable, manipulative,
difficult, a burden
Behavior instead of disorder
The biological basis in PDs is 50% - a lot more than people believe
Fear of diagnosing young people with PD – BAD!
Patients do not seek help for their PDs – but for the consequences
