Stigma and Disease

What is stigma?

social process involving the labeling of human differences, the application of negative stereotypes, and the resulting status loss and discrimination

How can diseases become stigmatized?

negative stereotypes, misinformation, and cultural value conflicts that equate illness with weakness or social contamination

How can disease stigma affect individuals?

negatively impact an individual's quality of life by fostering shame, social isolation, and discrimination that prevents them from seeking essential health care and employment opportunities.

Prejudice is an _____, ______ attitude or preconceived opinion held toward a______ discrimination is the ______, ______ treatment of ______ based on their membership in such a _____.

internal; irrational; group. overt; unequal; individuals; group

what is the disease-avoidance model of stigmatization?

social and physical avoidance of certain individuals is an evolved psychological mechanism designed to minimize the risk of contracting infectious diseases by responding to visible cues or labels associated with illness.

How have disease-avoidance behaviors

contributed to the development of disease stigma?

stigmatize individuals exhibiting visible signs of illness or labels associated with disease to reduce the perceived risk of contagio

How does the tension between sociality (social

proximity) and disease avoidance (social avoidance) play a role in development of disease stigma?

it fosters stigma by labeling individuals as threats to collective health, thereby justifying their exclusion to maintain social order and mitigate existential anxiety

Why/how does a disease-avoidance system that is "biased toward false alarms" result in stigmatization?

it prioritizes the avoidance of healthy individuals who merely exhibit superficial signs of illness over the risk of failing to detect a truly contagious person, leading to the systematic social exclusion of those perceived as "marked."

what is the relationship between historical infectious disease burden and reported levels of sociosexuality, extraversion, and openness?

higher historical infectious disease prevalence is associated with lower levels of extraversion and openness, as well as more restricted sociosexuality, as these traits may have evolved as behavioral strategies to reduce pathogen exposure

Is disease-avoidance behavior unique to humans?

No, disease-avoidance behavior is not unique to humans

What characterizes a visible/contagious stigmatized medical condition?

perceived threats to social values, existential anxiety regarding infection, and the use of physical markers that label individuals as deviant or undesirable

Humans are particularly attentive to

disease-associated signs visible on which part of the body?

the face

what are examples of visible signs that

may trigger disease-avoidance behavior?

facial lesions, skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, or eczema, birthmarks, burns, and physical disabilities or disfigurements

What characterizes a visible/non-contagious stigmatized medical condition?

observable physical markers that deviate from societal norms, often triggering unfounded social avoidance or prejudice despite the absence of any transmission risk

how can stigmatization result in individuals with visual differences experiencing prejudice and discrimination?

society often reduces the bearer to a "tainted" or "discounted" status based on undesirable stereotypes, which triggers exclusionary social processes and unfair treatment

What characterizes a label/contagious stigmatized medical condition?

the application of negative stereotypes, social devaluation, and the use of identity-defining labels that frame the individual as dangerous, flawed, or socially undesirable

How can fear and misinformation

contribute to stigma surrounding a disease?

creating negative stereotypes and irrational anxieties that lead to the social exclusion, discrimination, and marginalization of individuals affected by a disease

how is HIV/AIDS an example of a label/contagious stigmatized disease?

associated with moral judgments regarding "deviant" behaviors, leading to social labeling, fear of contagion, and discrimination against those infected

What characterizes a label/non-contagious stigmatized medical condition?

socially devalued attributes that deviate from perceived norms, often resulting in the individual being marked as inferior, weak, or socially undesirable.

describe examples of

stigma experienced by Ebola survivors during the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak.

stigmatization, discrimination, and potential abandonment

Understand how highly visible interactions between public figures and individuals with stigmatized diseases help reduce stigma.

normalizing the condition, humanizing those affected, and challenging harmful stereotypes through direct, relatable contact

whats the example of public individuals reducing stigma around diseases involving Princess Diana and HIV/AIDS?

publicly shaking hands with an HIV-positive patient without wearing gloves

whats the example of public individuals reducing stigma around diseases involving President Obama and Ebola survivor Nina Pham.

hugging nurse Nina Pham in the Oval Office

How did the CDC and WHO try to reduce stigma during the COVID-19 pandemic?

promoting accurate information, discouraging the use of stigmatizing language, and advocating for inclusive public health policies that emphasized community solidarity over blame.