Internalized stigma in mental health staff with lived experience of mental crises–Does the professional role protect against self-stigmatization?

Abstract

ObjectiveThe stigma of mental illness is widespread in the general population and also among healthcare and psychiatric professionals. Yet, research on the self-stigma of the latter is still limited. The purpose of this article was to assess self-stigma and its correlates in mental health professionals with lived experiences of mental crisis and treatment.MethodsIn a cross-sectional exploratory research project, 182 mental health professionals with lived experiences of mental crisis and treatment from 18 psychiatric hospital departments in the German federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg were surveyed on their lived experiences, self-stigma, perceived stigma in the workplace, subjective vulnerability to crises, and meaningfulness of lived experiences. To investigate the relationships between the variables, manifest and latent correlation analyses were calculated.ResultsResults showed low levels of self-stigma and perceived public stigma in the workplace. Self-stigma was significantly and positively associated with workplace stigma and subjective vulnerability to crisis, but not with identification with lived experiences.ConclusionThe relationship between self-stigma, workplace stigma, and vulnerability should be investigated in terms of mutual causality in order to derive possible strategies of reducing self-stigma along with its detrimental effects. Possible reasons for the low levels of self-stigma are discussed in the light of limitations, including processes of self-selection, with highly self-stigmatizing individuals being possibly discouraged from participating. Strategies to enhance sampling quality are briefly discussed.

Stigmatized attitudes of medical staff toward people who use drugs and their determinants in Japanese medical facilities specialized in addiction treatment

“…Specifically, the former experience correlated with healthcare providers' perceptions that PWUD were intelligent or trustworthy, suggesting that receiving support instead of withholding unresolved trauma with someone's drug problems may be crucially important in fostering trust during future encounters with PWUD. To our knowledge, only limited studies focus on the role of the healthcare provider's lived experience on stigmatized attitudes toward people with mental illness, and no study on drug problems in particular 39 . Our study hereby emphasizes the need for the field to not neglect the healthcare provider's personal experience with PWUD, and provide sufficient support.…”

“…This observation aligns with anecdotal evidence from Japanese specialists, 21 and no study on drug problems in particular. 39 Our study hereby emphasizes the need for the field to not neglect the healthcare provider's personal experience with PWUD, and provide sufficient support.…”

Exploring mental health challenges and implications for construction safety

“…Although mental ill health problems are common and affect thousands of UK workers, there is still a strong negative attitude around mental health from society, employers, and colleagues. Some workers even experience internalised stigma (Stuetzle et al, 2023), where they begin to believe the negative messages or stereotypes about themselves. Therefore, organisations should be promoting open conversations towards providing support to employees (Table 4).…”

Offenlegung eigener Krisen- und Behandlungserfahrungen von Mitarbeitenden psychiatrischer Einrichtungen in Berlin und Brandenburg – eine ungenutzte Ressource zum Abbau von Stigma?

“…Neben der Untersuchung der Häufigkeit von EKB innerhalb dieser Personengruppe wurden Fragen zum Umgang mit Offenlegung und empfundenen Stigma gestellt, zum Selbstverständnis der Mitarbeitenden und zu ihrer beruflichen Sozialisation sowie zu dem vermuteten Nutzen der EKB in Hinblick auf die Behandlung der Patient*innen. Eine detaillierte Beschreibung der Studienmethodik ist bereits publiziert [13,14]. Der vorliegende Artikel arbeitet das Datenmaterial zu den Forschungsfragen auf, was psychiatrische Fachkräfte zu einer (Nicht-)Offenlegung eigener EKB motiviert und wie diese Offenlegung von ihnen erlebt wird.…”