Stigma and discrimination through the lens of people with lived experience of mental health conditions with diverse gender identification and age frames : a qualitative study

Abstract

Stigma against people with lived mental health experiences (PWLE) worsens their psychological and physical health and poses a global public health problem. Age and gender may influence stigma experiences, but findings vary. This qualitative study explores PWLE experiences across ages and genders, examining perceptions of who the discrimination agents are. Understanding age and gender intersectionality aids in reducing mental health-related stigma with a nuanced approach. A total of 182 adults (M = 35.6, SD = 13.4) with self-identified mental health conditions answered an open-ended question. We performed a reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were developed: (1) Rationalizing discrimination - i.e., socially shared stereotypes used to justify discrimination; (2) This is what we get when we mess with them - i.e., patterns of lived experiences of social discrimination, harassment, and exclusion in different contexts; and (3) The perks of being a wallflower - i.e., internalized stigma related to patterns used by PWLE and circumstances to avoid exposure to stigma and discrimination. Older PWLE reported using coping strategies to prevent stigma. The age-gender of a PWLE seemed to influence how others perceive their mental health conditions. Findings suggest that PWLE face mental health stigma rooted in rationalization, leading to maladaptive coping strategies, such as hiding their condition. Prevention efforts should consider age-gender intersectionality.