In a study about stigma within health care, researchers found that exposure to stigmatizing language in descriptions of patients changed the way they provided care. The American Psychological Association provides a brief overview into this study and strategies for doctors dedicated to overcoming this bias.
Getting help for a substance use disorder can already be scary, but what if asking for help also meant losing your job and career? A program in New Hampshire is working to reduce the stigma of addiction for nurses by providing an innovative new program to assist nurses in accessing services without risking their license.
According to this article in The Atlantic, “Mental-health practitioners whose clients kill themselves can face stigma from their colleagues, lawsuits, and a toll on their own psyches—making them less likely to take on suicidal patients who need their help.” The article breaks down why this stigma occurs, how other providers perpetrate this stigma, and what barriers to care it creates.
