Mental Health Stigma in Psychiatric Genetics: Insights and Recommendations From the ISPG Member Survey on Stigma

Little is known about how stigma is perceived within psychiatric genetics, a field increasingly central to public discussions about heredity, neurodiversity, and psychiatric risk. Understanding how stigma is perceived and experienced by psychiatric geneticists is important for guiding responsible communication and future stigma-reduction efforts. The International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG) Stigma Reduction Special Interest Group surveyed members' experiences and perceptions of mental health-related stigma (122 responses; response rate = 11.3%). Two-thirds believed that psychiatric genetics research reduces stigma, and there was a general consensus that researchers should consider stigma-related impacts when communicating research findings. Almost half of respondents perceived public stigma toward the field, and one-third reported avoiding certain research projects due to stigma-related concerns. Among respondents with a mental health diagnosis, 51% described selective disclosure at work shaped by fears of judgment or career impact. Respondents reported the persistence of stigmatizing attitudes within workplaces, despite reporting perceptions of meaningful cultural improvements in recent years. This first empirical assessment of stigma among psychiatric genetics professionals provides several key action points for the field: (1) developing stigma-sensitive research communication guidelines, (2) explicitly include individuals with lived experience, (3) reconsidering mentoring and hiring practices, and (4) evaluating organizational stigma-reducing efforts.