Framing stigma as an avoidable social harm that widens inequality

Addison, Michelle

doi:10.1177/00380261221150080

Cited by 17 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 60 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…By drawing on the lens of relational autonomy, a key contribution of the study is that we highlight not just the material impact of economic deprivation, but also how poverty led to diminished feelings of self-worth among our participants which were, in turn, exacerbated by the continued stigma attached to substance use and mental illhealth [82]. Relational feminist theorists and sociologists underscore how stigma, as a structural form of oppression, inhibits people's capacity to act autonomously in the context of substance use [44,47,82]. Indeed, as well as shaping interactions with formal care professionals, the impact of stigma was evident in people's accounts of help -seeking within their personal relationships.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding people's experiences of the formal health and social care system for co‐occurring heavy alcohol use and depression through the lens of relational autonomy: A qualitative study

Jackson,

Kaner,

Hanratty

et al. 2023

Addiction

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background and AimsHeavy alcohol use and depression commonly co‐occur. However, health and social care services rarely provide coordinated support for these conditions. Using relational autonomy, which recognizes how social and economic contexts and relational support alter people's capacity for agency, this study aimed to (1) explore how people experience formal care provision for co‐occurring alcohol use and depression, (2) consider how this context could lead to adverse outcomes for individuals and (3) understand the implications of these experiences for future policy and practice.DesignSemi‐structured qualitative interviews underpinned by the methodology of interpretive description.SettingNorth East and North Cumbria, UK.ParticipantsThirty‐nine people (21 men and 18 women) with current or recent experience of co‐occurring heavy alcohol use ([Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT] score ≥ 8]) and depression ([Patient Health Questionnaire test ≥ 5] screening tools to give an indication of their current levels of alcohol use and mental score).MeasurementsSemi‐structured interview guide supported in‐depth exploration of the treatment and care people had sought and received for heavy alcohol use and depression.FindingsMost participants perceived depression as a key factor contributing to their heavy alcohol use. Three key themes were identified: (1) ‘lack of recognition’ of a relationship between alcohol use and depression and/or contexts that limit people's capacity to access help, (2) having ‘nowhere to go’ to access relevant treatment and care and (3) ‘supporting relational autonomy’ as opposed to assuming that individuals can organize their own care and recovery. Lack of access to appropriate treatment and provision that disregards individuals’ differential capacity for agency may contribute to delays in help‐seeking, increased distress and suicidal ideation.ConclusionsAmong people with co‐occurring heavy alcohol use and depression, lack of recognition of a relationship between alcohol use and depression and formal care provision that does not acknowledge people's social and economic context, including their intrinsic need for relational support, may contribute to distress and limit their capacity to get well.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding people's experiences of the formal health and social care system for co‐occurring heavy alcohol use and depression through the lens of relational autonomy: A qualitative study

Jackson,

Kaner,

Hanratty

et al. 2023

Addiction

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Comments reflect what Addison (p. 308, [16]) refers to as stigma-induced 'ugly feelings'. Women reflected when alone and with others, including watching CCTV footage with police officers.…”

Section: Stigma Relationship Tensions and Exploitation Appearances An...mentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Punitive approaches can deter people from treatment; for example, state child removal fear is a barrier to women seeking help for alcohol use [12], and child removal can trigger increased substance usage [13,14]. Structural issues can exacerbate substance usage [15,16], and Link and Phelan [17] identify a power requirement to stigmatise others, for example, social, economic, and political power. Ultimately, punitive drug legislation creates 'state-driven stigma', disproportionately harming women, including violence and incarceration [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…'Sexual stigma' attributed to women engaged in sex work and sex trafficking is socially constructed at the macro institutional and political levels [22]. Macrolevel occurrences have implications for the micro level, and Addison (p. 298, [16]) articulates that stigma is 'done between people', resulting in social harm experiences. Stigma is evident in the actions of others, including male service users targeting female service with previous sex work experience to initiate exploitative relationships to fund their substance use [3,23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Women, Addictions, Mental Health, Dishonesty, and Crime Stigma: Solutions to Reduce the Social Harms of Stigma

Page,

Fedorowicz,

McCormack

et al. 2024

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

British drug policies could underserve women with treatment needs, and this paper provides evidence that communication through the words and actions of professionals across drug and alcohol services, health and mental health, social work and the criminal justice sector can leave women feeling stigmatised and failed. Women live with the stigma of ‘the lying addict’; however, documents and courtroom statements provided by professionals can misrepresent women’s experiences, which exacerbates social harm. Data are drawn from feminist participatory action research, where female lived experience experts worked alongside academics to implement a qualitative study using interviews and focus groups with women using treatment services (n = 28) and an online world café with professionals working with these women (n = 9) and further professionals providing support at lived experience data collection events (n = 5). This data set is cross-referenced with one-to-one and small-group interviews with professionals in the field (n = 17) conducted by a third-sector partner. Findings establish that stigma negatively impacts the identification of treatment needs and access to timely and appropriate service delivery. Social harms to women with addictions could be significantly reduced with timely, authentic, honest, gender-informed and trauma-informed practices for girls and women using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate from traumatic experiences.

show abstract

“…This rapid shift, alluded to by Jones [ 38 ], has seen stigma (norms marking an ontological deficit, non-conformance or shame) being redefined as deviance (norms marking a moral deficit, non-compliance or blame), ‘skewing’ social norms of shame and blame, which Scambler [ 33 ] terms as a “weaponising of stigma”. Thus, stigma operates as a powerful tool to police and regulate the most marginalised [ 39 ]. Lone mothers, in particular, have been branded “failed neoliberal subjects” (p. 232, [ 40 ]), as vessels of unregulated and amoral female sexuality and therefore a threat to society [ 40 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“They Tarred Me with the Same Brush”: Navigating Stigma in the Context of Child Removal

McGrath

Lhussier

Crossley

et al. 2023

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Child removals are increasing in England and Wales. Family court involvement is particularly common among women with multiple disadvantages, and the rates are higher in economically marginalised areas. This article aims to explore women’s narratives of child removal within life stories of homelessness and examines how stigma, power and State surveillance manifest in their experiences. Data drawn from qualitative interviews with 14 mothers in the north-east of England who had experienced the removal of their children through the family courts are explored within the wider context of a neoliberal political agenda of “troubled families”, and in particular, “deviant mothers”. The participants describe how stigma structured their interactions with social services. Despite the known poor outcomes associated with child removal for both mothers and children, professional involvement often tapers off afterwards, with little support for mothers. Drawing on women’s accounts, we seek to illuminate their experiences of child removal and enhance our understanding of how stigma plays out in statutory settings, further entrenching social exclusion and ultimately increasing health inequalities.

show abstract

Framing stigma as an avoidable social harm that widens inequality

Cited by 17 publications

References 60 publications

Understanding people's experiences of the formal health and social care system for co‐occurring heavy alcohol use and depression through the lens of relational autonomy: A qualitative study

Understanding people's experiences of the formal health and social care system for co‐occurring heavy alcohol use and depression through the lens of relational autonomy: A qualitative study

Women, Addictions, Mental Health, Dishonesty, and Crime Stigma: Solutions to Reduce the Social Harms of Stigma

“They Tarred Me with the Same Brush”: Navigating Stigma in the Context of Child Removal

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About