Persons with mental illness frequently encounter public stigma and may suffer from self-stigma. This review aims to clarify the concept of mental illness stigma and discuss consequences for individuals with mental illness. After a conceptual overview of stigma we discuss two leading concepts of mental illness stigma and consequences of stigma, focussing on self-stigma/empowerment and fear of stigma as a barrier to using health services. Finally, we discuss three main strategies to reduce stigma -- protest, education, and contact -- and give examples of current anti-stigma campaigns. Well-designed anti-stigma initiatives will help to diminish negative consequences of mental illness stigma.
BT - European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16171984?dopt=Abstract DO - 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2005.04.004 IS - 8 J2 - Eur. Psychiatry LA - eng N2 -Persons with mental illness frequently encounter public stigma and may suffer from self-stigma. This review aims to clarify the concept of mental illness stigma and discuss consequences for individuals with mental illness. After a conceptual overview of stigma we discuss two leading concepts of mental illness stigma and consequences of stigma, focussing on self-stigma/empowerment and fear of stigma as a barrier to using health services. Finally, we discuss three main strategies to reduce stigma -- protest, education, and contact -- and give examples of current anti-stigma campaigns. Well-designed anti-stigma initiatives will help to diminish negative consequences of mental illness stigma.
PY - 2005 SP - 529 EP - 39 T2 - European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists TI - Mental illness stigma: concepts, consequences, and initiatives to reduce stigma. VL - 20 SN - 0924-9338 ER -