Stigma surrounding coronavirus disease 2019 prevents millions of people from seeking help. Understanding, challenging, and dismantling this stigma is essential for public mental health.
Two Types of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Stigma
Social stigma: Negative attitudes and discrimination from others toward people with coronavirus disease 2019
Self-stigma: Internalized shame and negative self-perception due to experiencing coronavirus disease 2019
Both forms cause harm — self-stigma often delays help-seeking more than social stigma.
Where Coronavirus Disease 2019 Stigma Comes From
- Historical misunderstanding of mental health conditions as moral failures
- Media portrayals that misrepresent coronavirus disease 2019
- Cultural and community norms that discourage emotional acknowledgment
- Fear: people distance themselves from coronavirus disease 2019 to manage their own fears about vulnerability
Overcoming Coronavirus Disease 2019 Stigma
Contact theory shows that personal stories reduce stigma. Sharing your own experience — when safe to do so — is one of the most powerful anti-stigma actions available.
Don't Let Stigma Stop You Getting Help for Coronavirus Disease 2019
The cost of avoiding help due to stigma is far greater than any social cost of seeking it. Most people who seek support for coronavirus disease 2019 report that the decision was one of the best they made.