Layered Stigma, Deepening Harm: Dose–Response Patterns and Pathways liking Migration-Related Stigma and Mental Health

• In Event: Sociology that Advances Equity in Mental Health

Abstract

Objective: This study examines migration stigma as a manifestation of symbolic violence and its association with psychological distress and posttraumatic stress syndromes among Asian, Black, and Latinx immigrant-origin adults in the United States.
Methods: Using data from a demographically diverse, national quota sample (N=908), we assessed stigma at macro (perceptions of government and policy makers), interpersonal (social exclusion, discrimination, threat of deportation, and made to feel embarrassment or shame), and intrapersonal (anticipating rejection, internalized embarrassment and shame, and perceived devaluation) levels. We used a series of OLS regression models to isolate the unique and combined effects of demographic, immigration-related, and stigma-related predictors on two outcomes – psychological distress (Kessler 6) and PTSD symptoms.
Results: Racial/ethnic disparities in mental health outcomes were attenuated after accounting for immigration-related factors and stigma exposure. Interpersonal and intrapersonal stigma, specifically experiences of discrimination, social exclusion, shame and devaluation, emerged as the most robust predictors of mental health outcomes. A cumulative stigma index demonstrated a dose-response relationship, with each additional exposure associated with significantly higher symptom levels, underscoring the compounding mental health burden of layered stigma.
Implications/Conclusion: Findings highlight the need for policies and clinical interventions that reduce exposure to symbolic violence and address the psychological toll of stigma on immigrant-origin populations. Integrating culturally responsive, trauma-informed approaches into mental health services is essential for mitigating disparities and supporting well-being in increasingly restrictive immigration climates.

Authors

• Bruce G Link, University of California-Riverside

• Cecilia Ayon, University of California Riverside