Stigma towards individuals who self harm: impact of gender and disclosure

Brendan Lloyd · Alexandra Blazely · Lisa Phillips

70 citations0/0 files storedJournal of Public Mental Health

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Suicide and Self-Harm Studies Mental Health Treatment and Access Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Abstract

Purpose Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is reasonably common, particularly among young people with prevalence rates of up to 25 per cent reported. Many factors contribute towards NSSI, including depression, anxiety and history of abuse and NSSI is a risk factor for suicide. Many people who engage in NSSI do not seek help, potentially due to concern about sigmatising attitudes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of gender and disclosure on stigmatising attitudes towards individuals who engage in NSSI. Design/methodology/approach Participants were 384 first-year university students (77.4 per cent female; mean age 19.50 years (SD=3.53)) who completed measures of stigmatising attitudes in response to vignettes featuring individuals who engaged in self-harming behaviour. Vignettes varied in the gender of the individual as well as whether the NSSI was disclosed or not. Findings The results support the attribution model of public discrimination in relation to NSSI stigma. Perceptions of higher personal responsibility for NSSI behaviour and higher levels of danger and manipulation were positively associated with stigmatizing attitudes and behaviours. Male research participants reported significantly higher levels of stigmatizing attitudes and behaviours than females. Social implications The level of stigmatising attitudes towards individuals who engage in NSSI is significant and may impact on help-seeking behaviour. Originality/value Between 10 and 25 per cent of adolescents engage in some form of NSSI, but only a minority seek help to address this behaviour. This study suggests that attitudes by peers may influence help-seeking. Further research is required outside of tertiary education settings.

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2013Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 2007G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences 1960A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology.2014What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies 2006The functions of deliberate self-injury: A review of the evidence 1986Gender and aggressive behavior: A meta-analytic review of the social psychological literature.2006Non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: Diagnostic correlates and relation to suicide attempts 2004A Functional Approach to the Assessment of Self-Mutilative Behavior.

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