The impact of stigma in healthcare on people living with chronic illnesses

Abstract

Approximately half of adults are living with a chronic illness, many of whom may feel stigmatized by their chronic illness in different contexts. We explored the impact of internalized, experienced, and anticipated stigma within healthcare settings on the quality of life of 184 participants living with chronic illnesses (e.g. diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma). Results of a path analysis demonstrate that participants who internalized stigma and experienced stigma from healthcare workers anticipated greater stigma from healthcare workers. Participants who anticipated greater stigma from healthcare workers, in turn, accessed healthcare less and experienced a decreased quality of life.

Figures

Figure 1.

Hypothesized model of the impact of internalized, experienced, and anticipated stigma on healthcare access and quality of life.

Figure 2.

Path analysis of the impact of internalized, experienced, and anticipated stigma on healthcare access and quality of life. Model includes dashed lines representing trimmed paths, standardized regression weights for all non-trimmed paths, and the correlation between internalized and experienced stigma.