TY - JOUR
T1 - An Anti-Stigma Approach to Working with Persons with Severe
Mental Disability: Seeking Real Change Through Narrative Change
AU - Kondrat, D
AU - Teater, Barbra
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Self-stigma is the process whereby individuals expect to be discriminated against by society and in turn hold prejudicial beliefs about themselves. Self-stigma is particularly difficult for persons with severe mental disability (SMD) as they often experience stigma from the public and, thus, allow the public stigma to foster self-stigma. Public and self-stigma are theorised to be comprised of stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. This paper proposes that in order to decrease self-stigma among persons with SMD, social work and mental health practitioners need to intervene on an individual and/or societal level to dispute stereotypes, prevent prejudices and combat discrimination. We propose an individual-level, anti-stigma approach utilising social constructivism, adaptive systems theory and narrative therapy to empower persons with SMD to reconstruct their sense of self that is free from stigma.
AB - Self-stigma is the process whereby individuals expect to be discriminated against by society and in turn hold prejudicial beliefs about themselves. Self-stigma is particularly difficult for persons with severe mental disability (SMD) as they often experience stigma from the public and, thus, allow the public stigma to foster self-stigma. Public and self-stigma are theorised to be comprised of stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. This paper proposes that in order to decrease self-stigma among persons with SMD, social work and mental health practitioners need to intervene on an individual and/or societal level to dispute stereotypes, prevent prejudices and combat discrimination. We propose an individual-level, anti-stigma approach utilising social constructivism, adaptive systems theory and narrative therapy to empower persons with SMD to reconstruct their sense of self that is free from stigma.
KW - adaptive systems theory
KW - empowerment
KW - narrative therapy
KW - social constructivism
KW - self-stigma
KW - severe mental disability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=61649099831&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02650530902723308
U2 - 10.1080/02650530902723308
DO - 10.1080/02650530902723308
M3 - Article
SN - 0265-0533
VL - 23
SP - 35
EP - 47
JO - Journal of Social Work Practice
JF - Journal of Social Work Practice
IS - 1
ER -