Influence of the social context on use of surgical-lengthening and group-empowering coping strategies among people with dwarfism.

Abstract

Both strategies, each in its own context, are effective at protecting psychological well-being from the negative consequences of stigmatization; however, they exert their positive effects through different processes.

Negotiating identity: a qualitative analysis of stigma and support seeking for individuals with cerebral palsy

“…More specifically, participants appeared to be continually balancing the need to protect their sense of individual self in relation to the CP social group, while simultaneously ensuring access to desired support. Reflecting on the priority and value placed on individuality in this sample, many preferred to distance themselves from the group in order to ensure that they were seen and treated as unique, rather than on the basis of their disability [38,51]. Yet, viewing themselves solely in personal terms may also prove costly, as they may nonetheless be associated with their disability group by others and stereotyped on that basis [38].…”

“…Yet, viewing themselves solely in personal terms may also prove costly, as they may nonetheless be associated with their disability group by others and stereotyped on that basis [38]. Perceiving themselves only in individual terms could also restrict access to the social support provided by other disabled people, as in order to use these resources, individuals need to identify as similar to this group [22,38]. The social support received from others via this shared social identity may be of particular importance for personal coping, through providing mutual understanding of the individual's experience [49].…”

“…Reflecting on the priority and value placed on individuality in this sample, many preferred to distance themselves from the group in order to ensure that they were seen and treated as unique, rather than on the basis of their disability [38,51]. Yet, viewing themselves solely in personal terms may also prove costly, as they may nonetheless be associated with their disability group by others and stereotyped on that basis [38]. Perceiving themselves only in individual terms could also restrict access to the social support provided by other disabled people, as in order to use these resources, individuals need to identify as similar to this group [22,38].…”

“…This is because a shared social identity can empower the individual to potentially cope with the negative attitudes that care providers might hold when they provide support [38,39], and can also act as an informational resource regarding the availability of appropriate treatment [42]. It may also encourage the individual to participate in collective supportseeking (e.g.…”

“…Nonetheless, there is also a growing body of research suggesting that being a member of a stigmatized group does not always negatively affect wellbeing [35] and that identifying with the stigmatized identity itself might sometimes be protective against stigma [33,[36][37][38]. For example, studies have demonstrated that a sense of a shared identity with other stigmatized people allows the individual to benefit from the actual or perceived support that comes with group membership [22,34].…”