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Interlocking oppressions: the effect of a comorbid physical disability on perceived stigma and discrimination among mental health consumers in Canada
Author(s) -
Bahm Allison,
Forchuk Cheryl
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
health and social care in the community
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.984
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1365-2524
pISSN - 0966-0410
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2524.2008.00799.x
Subject(s) - stigma (botany) , psychiatry , mental health , affect (linguistics) , mental illness , clinical psychology , physical disability , social stigma , psychology , medical model of disability , medicine , family medicine , communication , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)
People living with mental health problems often face stigma and discrimination; however, there is a lack of research that examines how comorbid conditions affect this perceived stigma. This study sought to determine whether people who have a comorbid physical and psychiatric disability experience more stigma than those with only a psychiatric disability. It also looked at how perceived stigma and discrimination affect physical and mental health. A secondary analysis on data from interviews with 336 former and current clients of the mental health system in a mid‐size Canadian city in 2005 was performed. Of these, 203 (60.4%) reported they had a psychiatric disability, 112 (33.0%) reported that they had a physical disability, with 74 reporting both a psychiatric and a physical disability. People with a self‐reported psychiatric disability and a self‐reported comorbid physical disability faced more overall perceived discrimination/stigma ( P = 0.04), than those with a psychiatric disability alone. Perceived discrimination/stigma was positively correlated with psychiatric problem severity ( P = 0.02), and negatively correlated with self‐rated general health ( P < 0.001), physical condition ( P < 0.001), emotional well‐being ( P < 0.001) and life satisfaction ( P < 0.001). These results bring to light the aggravating effect of a physical disability on the perceived stigma for those living with a mental illness, and also strengthen the knowledge that stigma and discrimination have a negative impact on health. Healthcare providers should recognise this negative impact and screen for these comorbid conditions. Policy‐makers should take measures such as improving access to housing and employment services to help reduce stigma and discrimination against this particularly vulnerable group.