Culture and Mental Health Stigma: Communication as Barrier and Bridge Across Generations

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

Stigma associated with mental illness is one of the greatest barriers to accessing needed mental health services and treatment. This is especially true among groups that are further stigmatized by their multiple identities of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, country of origin, or social class. Different cultural groups hold different beliefs about the nature of mental illness, and the acceptability of different approaches to treatment. Relevant culture goes beyond race, ethnicity and country of origin and also includes religion, age, immigration status, language, and relationship with government and mental health service providers. It is important to examine stigma of mental illness in the context of culture and stage in the lifespan in order to develop strategies and intervention that can increase the likelihood that people in need of care will seek it.

The effect of stigma varies by cultural group, national context, and generation. Stigma affects young people differently than older adults. Shame affects people in collectivistic cultures more than in individualistic ones. How parents process stigma affects how children and teenagers react to it. People who feel protected by governments and institutions will deal with stigma differently than people who feel observed or threatened. Media’s treatment of mental health can have immediate effects on stigma. All these factors must be considered to fully understand how stigma affects people in need of mental health services but are afraid – often with good reason – to disclose this to others.

How we communicate about mental illness and mental heath services is central to the development and perpetuation of stigma, and to its potential harm. The importance of culture and stage in the lifespan are often overlooked in examinations of stigma. We must understand the social and interpersonal discourses about mental health among different cultural groups – especially those affected by pother labels of “otherness” – and how communication can overcome stigma and its harmful effects across the lifespan.

The overall objective of this panel is to examine how communication can perpetuate or resist stigma within different cultural groups, and discuss the importance of cultural competence in anti-stigma interventions for all age groups.

By the end of the panel, participants will be able to:

1. Understand how stigma of mental health compounds with other stigmas across the lifespan
2. Describe efforts to combat mental health stigma in diverse cultures and generations
3. Discuss theories and strategies of communication approaches to mental health stigma reduction

Sub Unit

• Intercultural Communication

Chair

• Maria Elena Villar, Florida International U

Individual Presentations

• Mental Health Stigma Among Hispanic and Haitian Immigrant Parents and Storytelling Approaches to Reduce Stigma - Lorene Bauduy, Federation of Families - Miami-Dade County; Maria Elena Villar, Florida International U

• Youth-led Approaches to Reduction of Stigma Concerning Mental Illness and Mental Health Needs - Christina Bruhn, Aurora U

• Expressions of Mental Health Stigma in Chinese Social Media: Implications for Intervention - Yu Liu, Florida International University; Weirui Wang, Florida International University

• Youth and Social Media: Resistance to Narratives That Construct LGBTQ Identity and Mental Health Stigma - Erica Ciszek, U of Houston

• Mental Health Services for Children in Puerto Rico: Efforts to Combat Stigma and Increase Early Intervention - Gretchen Ortiz Perez, Initiative for Children and Families ASSMCA