Category
JFL, Lower Atrium
Description
Introduction/Background: Individuals with mental health disorders frequently contend with societal misconceptions regarding their conditions, leading to stigma, even within the healthcare system. Mental health stigma in the U.S. healthcare system occurs primarily at two levels: interpersonal and structural. This stigma profoundly influences the type and quality of care provided to individuals with mental health illnesses, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality, delayed treatment, and reduced quality of life. This study aims to evaluate how mental health stigma manifests at both the interpersonal and structural levels in the American healthcare system. Methods: A systematic literature review approach was adopted. Literature was searched using precise keywords combined with the Boolean operators "and" and "or" on Google Scholar and PubMed databases. The literature search yielded 379 journal articles published in the last five years (2019-2024), which were evaluated against the study’s inclusion criteria. Ultimately, 12 peer-reviewed journal articles were included in the study. Results: Stigma occurs at both the interpersonal and structural levels within the U.S. healthcare system, manifesting through several channels. At the interpersonal level, stigma emerges as unequal treatment of patients based on mental health status and the severity of their conditions, suboptimal patient care, disregard for patient opinions in clinical documentation, implicit bias, and culturally inadequate diagnosis and treatment. Structural stigma manifests as fragmented service delivery, cultural insensitivity, financial inaccessibility, and resource disparities. Conclusion: This study highlights the various ways in which mental health stigma manifests at both the interpersonal and structural levels in the American healthcare system. The findings indicate that stigma must be addressed at both levels to ensure individuals with mental health conditions have unrestricted access to the best possible care.
Mental Health Stigma: Promoting Compassionate Care in the U.S. Healthcare System
JFL, Lower Atrium
Introduction/Background: Individuals with mental health disorders frequently contend with societal misconceptions regarding their conditions, leading to stigma, even within the healthcare system. Mental health stigma in the U.S. healthcare system occurs primarily at two levels: interpersonal and structural. This stigma profoundly influences the type and quality of care provided to individuals with mental health illnesses, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality, delayed treatment, and reduced quality of life. This study aims to evaluate how mental health stigma manifests at both the interpersonal and structural levels in the American healthcare system. Methods: A systematic literature review approach was adopted. Literature was searched using precise keywords combined with the Boolean operators "and" and "or" on Google Scholar and PubMed databases. The literature search yielded 379 journal articles published in the last five years (2019-2024), which were evaluated against the study’s inclusion criteria. Ultimately, 12 peer-reviewed journal articles were included in the study. Results: Stigma occurs at both the interpersonal and structural levels within the U.S. healthcare system, manifesting through several channels. At the interpersonal level, stigma emerges as unequal treatment of patients based on mental health status and the severity of their conditions, suboptimal patient care, disregard for patient opinions in clinical documentation, implicit bias, and culturally inadequate diagnosis and treatment. Structural stigma manifests as fragmented service delivery, cultural insensitivity, financial inaccessibility, and resource disparities. Conclusion: This study highlights the various ways in which mental health stigma manifests at both the interpersonal and structural levels in the American healthcare system. The findings indicate that stigma must be addressed at both levels to ensure individuals with mental health conditions have unrestricted access to the best possible care.
Comments
Graduate - 3rd Place Award, Theoretical Proposal Posters