Issue Introduction: Identity Concealment: Multilevel Predictors, Moderators, and Consequences

People with concealable stigmatized identities, such as a criminal record, often anticipate stigma from others. Anticipated stigma is thought to cause withdrawal from situations in which there is the potential for discrimination, which then negatively impacts behavior and functioning. This may have implications for offenders reentering the community, possibly hindering community integration and encouraging maladaptive behavior postrelease. Drawing upon a sample of 197 male jail inmates, we examine a theoretical model in which anticipated stigma during incarceration predicts behavioral outcomes 1 year after release from jail (i.e., recidivism, substance use disorder symptoms, mental health symptoms, community adjustment) through social withdrawal. Anticipated stigma during incarceration predicted social withdrawal three months postrelease, which then predicted more mental health problems 1 year postrelease. Stigma resistance and optimism buffered the effect of anticipated stigma on social withdrawal. Race moderated multiple paths in the model, suggesting that the relations between anticipated stigma, social withdrawal, and adjustment are more pronounced for White offenders.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing the Concealable Stigma of Criminal Justice System Involvement: A Longitudinal Examination of Anticipated Stigma, Social Withdrawal, and Post–Release Adjustment

Moore

Tangney

2017

“…This article is the conclusion to an edition of Journal of Social Issues (JSI) focusing on identity concealment (Quinn, 2017). As such, we begin by reviewing insights emerging from this issue, primarily that (1) concealment is a multilevel phenomenon-meaning that individual decisions to conceal or disclose are influenced by social environments, and (2) the personal consequences of concealment are often, but not always, negative.…”

Section: Jonathan E Cookmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People who disclose can be exposed to discrimination, bias, or negative stereotypes (Goffman, ; Jones et al., ). Individual decisions to conceal are thus reactions to structural‐level social stigma (Pachankis, ; Quinn, ). However, consistent with ecological systems theory, individuals are not just affected by social structures; they also have the potential to influence them (Bronfenbrenner, , ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Identity Concealment and Social Change: Balancing Advocacy Goals Against Individual Needs

Pasek

Filip-Crawford²,

Cook

2017

We consider the conflicting multilevel forces around concealment and disclosure that may weigh on individuals as they navigate life with a concealable stigmatized identity. In particular, we explore a tension that can arise between immediate personal motivations to conceal and the potential for disclosure to increase the visibility of a stigmatized group and normalize it, thus helping to change social attitudes and reduce structural stigma. We argue that personal benefits of disclosure are moderated by individual differences and situational characteristics. This suggests that a one‐size‐fits‐all approach that focuses exclusively or primarily on the benefits of disclosure can be problematic. We thus recommend that any intervention campaign that seeks to encourage disclosure should balance social advocacy goals with individual needs. We conclude with a discussion of possible intervention strategies that could be used to (1) help individuals manage the disclosure process and (2) help create more favorable organizational and civic climates where concealment is less necessary.

“…Thus, addressing the ways in which stigma impedes well-being for PWMI, particularly through its impact on social relationships, requires moving beyond focusing solely on initiatives to end stigma. In doing so, we emphasize the importance of developing a stronger understanding of the underlying processes through which stigma impacts the social relationships of PWMI (see Hatzenbuehler, 2009;Richman & Lattanner, 2014;Ryan, Legate, Weinstein, & Rahman, 2017;Quinn, 2017). Addressing underlying pathways increases the likelihood of improving upon psychosocial treatment approaches designed to facilitate social support.…”

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Stigma and Concealment on Avoidant‐Oriented Friendship Goals

Lattanner

Richman

2017

In this research, we propose a hypothesized model that outlines pathways by which stigma impacts interpersonal behavior within close relationships through avoidant‐oriented friendship goals. We also examine how stigma concealment moderates the extent to which these avoidant goals are activated. In Study 1, among people with mental illness (PWMI), the relationship between internalized stigma and self‐silencing was mediated by avoidant‐oriented friendship goals. In Study 2, experimentally making stigmatized identity salient increased the endorsement of avoidant‐oriented friendship goals, particularly for people relatively high in concealment. Collectively, these studies highlight a social dilemma encountered by PWMI; what may be adaptive regulatory responses to stigmatization can motivate behavior that has negative effects in close relationships.