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Published on: February 22, 2018
The link between anticipated and internalized stigma and depression: A systematic review
Aisling T O'Donnell1, Aoife-Marie Foran2
1Centre for Social Issues Research, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland; Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
This review found that anticipated and internalized stigma are linked to depression in most studies. Evidence quality was fair, with more cross-sectional than longitudinal studies supporting this stigma-depression connection.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Stigma is a known contributor to psychological distress.
- However, the relationship between stigma and mental health outcomes, specifically depression, requires further investigation.
- Anticipated and internalized stigma are key dimensions of stigma experiences.
Approach:
- A systematic review was conducted using PsycInfo, PubMed, and EMBASE databases.
- Eighty-three studies (N=34,705) examining five stigma categories were included.
- A narrative synthesis analyzed evidence quality and the link between stigma and depression.
Key Points:
- Over 72% of studies supported a link between anticipated/internalized stigma and depression.
- The strength of this association varied across stigma categories (53.6%–100%).
- Most studies were of fair quality, with cross-sectional designs more frequently supporting the link than longitudinal designs.
Conclusions:
- A significant association exists between anticipated/internalized stigma and depression across various stigmatized groups.
- Future research should prioritize longitudinal designs to better understand causality.
- Interventions addressing stigma may be crucial for improving mental health outcomes.
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