Body image and mental health stigma are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain mental health stigma, and mental health stigma frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Mental Health Stigma
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives mental health stigma
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary mental health stigma trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as mental health stigma
How Mental Health Stigma Affects Body Image
Mental Health Stigma can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Mental Health Stigma Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by mental health stigma
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and mental health stigma