Breaking Barriers to Healing: Confronting Stigma in Mental Health Treatment

Abstract:
Stigma is a central contributor to mental health disparities. Stigma can be understood as the societal lens that casts individuals as inferior due to circumstances, behaviors, statuses, or identities. This lens affects individuals internally, in their relationships, and through structural elements in society. Extensive research tells us that stigma, in all its forms, is linked to increased mental health challenges like depression, PTSD, and suicidality among those with stigmatized identities, such as people of Color and transgender youth. This connection is largely because stigmatized individuals face higher levels of trauma, discrimination, and ongoing stressors.

Today, there is a growing need for effective mental health care for stigmatized populations. Inequities in the severity of mental health problems, diagnosis, and treatment have persisted over time, with gaps widening during the pandemic. These disparities can largely be traced back to stigma operating at multiple levels: (1) internalized stigma, where individuals adopt harmful beliefs due to their environment, (2) interpersonal stigma, where people experience prejudice and discrimination, and (3) structural stigma, which includes laws, policies, norms, and attitudes that negatively affect stigmatized groups.

In this plenary session, Dr. Maggi Price will delve into cutting-edge research on stigma and its impact on mental health treatment, with a particular focus on structural stigma. She will outline three future research directions in this field: (1) directly addressing stigma, including stigma-based trauma, within treatment, (2) enhancing therapist training to provide culturally responsive care, and (3) exploring multilevel interventions to tackle stigma comprehensively. Dr. Price will draw from her own research, including meta-analyses on structural stigma's influence on psychotherapy effectiveness and her intervention work with transgender youth. The session will conclude with Dr. Price's recommendations for best practices in mental health treatment for stigmatized clients. Join us as we explore ways to navigate stigma in mental health for a more inclusive and equitable future.