On Stigma and Its Consequences: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study of Men with Dual Diagnoses of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

TLDR

Stigma is widely linked to poorer well‑being, yet in mental illness its magnitude and duration remain debated, with labeling sometimes producing both therapeutic benefits and harmful stigma. The study examines whether stigma has lasting effects on well‑being among men with dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse. Eighty‑four men were interviewed at treatment entry and one year later to assess changes in well‑being relative to stigma. Stigma had a strong, persistent negative impact on well‑being, persisting even after symptom improvement, underscoring the need for clinicians to address stigma independently.

Abstract

Numerous studies have demonstrated a strong connection between the experience of stigma and the well-being of the stigmatized. But in the area of mental illness there has been controversy surrounding the magnitude and duration of the effects of labeling and stigma. One of the arguments that has been used to downplay the importance of these factors is the substantial body of evidence suggesting that labeling leads to positive effects through mental health treatment. However, as Rosenfield (1997) points out, labeling can simultaneously induce both positive consequences through treatment and negative consequences through stigma. In this study we test whether stigma has enduring effects on well-being by interviewing 84 men with dual diagnoses of mental disorder and substance abuse at two points in time--at entry into treatment, when they were addicted to drugs and had many psychiatric symptoms and then again after a year of treatment, when they were far less symptomatic and largely drug- and alcohol-free. We found a relatively strong and enduring effect of stigma on well-being. This finding indicates that stigma continues to complicate the lives of the stigmatized even as treatment improves their symptoms and functioning. It follows that if health professionals want to maximize the well-being of the people they treat, they must address stigma as a separate and important factor in its own right.