Labeling Of An Illness Or Disability From A Medical Professional

The effects of self-stigma can lead to a lack of self esteem, lack of confidence, isolation and the increased likelihood of avoiding professional help for their illness. This then has an over all affect on quality of life and where one sees themselves fitting within society (Barney, Griffiths, Jorm & Christensen, 2005; Griffiths & Christensen, 2004; Newell & Gournay, 2000).

Discrimination has the potential to lead to low confidence and self-esteem and create stress, fear, and isolation. It may affect an individual’s ability to communicate with other people and deprive them of their freedom of choice. The mental and social effects of discrimination could lead to isolation from society and become depressed. Discrimination affects mental health, and as a result may affect your physical health. Reduced appetite and loss of interest in the things you once liked will affect your overall

Many doctors and school officials believe that the diagnosis and labeling of these individuals is helpful so that they can be assisted with their struggles. The idea is that if a disorder goes undiagnosed it must go untreated

One determinant for the above feelings is stigma. Stigma is a mark of disgrace or shame that sets the person apart and is a social sanction which dehumanises an individual, by branding them or labelling them based on their illness (Epstein, Olsen, & Grey, 2012) . When they are labelled they are

The stigma label could increase his perception of hopelessness, which, in turn, perpetuates or magnifies the cycle of the illness. His family may feel the effects of the stigma since many people mistakenly consider all mental disorders to be either genetic or the result of an unfavorable upbringing. This, in turn, can erroneously create the family’s feelings of unfounded guilt or embarrassment. His friends and others in his support system can also be negatively impacted by the stigma simply from an association standpoint, possibly resulting in them distancing themselves from an already somewhat isolated patient. So the stigma exasperates the patient’s internal negative perceptions and can externally create conflict between him and those closest to him.

The potential effects of discrimination generally include physical health problems, mental anxiety, decreased self –esteem and confidence and negative experiences with social interactions. Discrimination can prompt individuals to withdraw socially, lash out at others and participate in violent tendencies

The issue of stigma and labelling within healthcare is one in which a lot of discussion has occurred. Stigma indicates a collection of usually negative attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and behaviours that may influence the way individuals see themselves or even the publics perception of them. This may cause the public to fear, reject, avoid and discriminate against the individual (Gary, 2005). To label an individual in society as different or deviant applies a stigma (Goffman, 1963) Labelling as a theory is the way in which society labels behaiours that do not conform with the social norm. A label attatched to a person’s condition is crucial and influences the way in which the individuals see themselves. For example, the diagnosis of AID is

Stigma has been said to be “a feeling of being negatively differentiated owing to a particular condition, group membership or state in life”(Arboleda-Florez & Stuart, 2012, p. 458). There are typically two types of mental illness stigma that are discussed. Public stigma, also known as societal stigma, is the stigma associated with the prejudicial attitudes the public holds towards those people who suffer from mental illness (Arboleda-Florez & Stuart, 2012; Corrigan, Markowitz, Watson, Rowan & Kubiak, 2003). Self-stigma, also known as internalized stigma, is the loss of self-esteem, withdrawal, and personal shame that some with mental illness will experience. Self-stigma is usually developed when those who suffer from mental illness associate the negative stereotypes the public holds with themselves (Chronister, Chou, & Lieo, 2013; Corrigan et al., 2003).

Stigma can be defined as a mark of shame or ignominy that sets individuals apart from others. Goffman notes “Society establishes the means of categorizing persons and the complement of attributes felt to be ordinary and natural for members of each of these categories”. (Goffman) Given, when a person is labeled by said illness, disorder, or deviancy they are seen as a part of a stereotyped group and as a result are stigmatized by the “normals”. Moreover, the routines of social interactions in society allow us to create normative expectations and demands for the way ones in said society are expected to

Goffman looks at variety of strategies when it comes to stigmatized individuals, especially ones that deal with rejection from others. Stigma: Notes on the Management of a Spoiled Identity was published in 1963 and in the first chapter the book, Goffman determines the three types of stigma; stigma of character traits, physical stigma, and stigma of group identity. Stigma of character traits are “blemishes of individual character perceived as weak will, domineering, or unnatural passions, treacherous and rigid beliefs, and dishonesty, these being inferred from a known record of, for example, mental disorder, imprisonment, addiction, alcoholism, homosexuality, unemployment, suicidal attempts, and radical political behavior” (Goffman, 1963). Physical stigma is the deformities of the body, whereas the stigma of group identity is a stigma that derives from a particular race, nation and/or religion. These three types of stigma have one thing in common, their sociological features: “an individual who might have been received in normal social

The many disadvantages of labeling or diagnosing in mental health disorders are Clinicians may sometimes be influenced by false information given by others, and may not match symptoms to the patient. Improper diagnosis can make the patient worse, or damage them from the medication. When a patient is diagnosed with a label, that can initiate a stigma for them, and stereotype them. Labels can have a negative effect on a person’s view, and also the judgment of others. Society can view them as ¬bad, different, not normal, unstable and reject them with negativity. The diagnosis can be judged by a personal bias as well such as age, gender, race, background, and financial status. When someone is labeled with a mental disorder, they may start to believe they are sick, and it can be self-fulfilling. A patient may become obsessed with their behavior, and let the label define them. Once they are labeled they may have a hard time identifying

The problem with the stigma of a psychological disorder is the understanding that the client or patient understands how society views those who have psychological

Erving Goffman’s theory of social stigma (1963) will be used as a guideline for the thesis and will act as a basis for further research on personal and perceived depression stigma. Stigma is a deeply discrediting attribute which has a strong relationship to stereotype (Goffman, 1963) Goffman defines stigma as a gap between “virtual social identity and actual social identity” and states that stigmata are bodily signs which deviate from the norm (Goffman, 1963). According to him, three different types of stigma exist: (1) physical deformities, (2) blemishes of individual character and (3) tribal stigma.

Goffman (1963) stated in his that society forms opinions and attaches certain attributes to individuals when first introduced. These will be called virtual social identity. The stranger’s actual social identity will be the attributes that he actually possess. Stigma is when this person’s attribute is a less desirable kind and the person is reduced from being a complete and normal person to a stained, discounted one. Three different types of stigma exist: Body deformities, imperfections of the individual character and the tribal stigma. In order for stigma to exist, there need to be individuals that attach the label and those individuals that are being labelled. The person being stigmatised might become defensive and society might see this

Individuals with serious mental illness are doubly affected by their disease; not only do they experience the often debilitating symptoms of their condition, but they must also endure mundane mental health stigmas and prejudices. Stigmatized attitudes are perceived to be one of the greatest impediments to living a complete and fulfilling life. Stigma has been defined as a combination of three related problems: ignorance, prejudice and discrimination (Rose, Thornicroft, Pinfold, & Kassam, 2007). Ignorance implies a lack of knowledge, prejudice entails negative attitudes, and discrimination involves exclusionary actions against people deemed to be different. Two forms of stigma are commonly distinguished in literature. Public stigma describes the attitudes of society towards people with mental illness, while self-stigma results from the internalization of prejudice by people who suffer from mental health conditions (Corrigan, Powell, & Rüsch, 2012). The World Health Organization announced that stigma was the most crucial obstacle to overcome for a community to functioning effectively and efficiently (Ontario Hospital Association, 2013).