Quality of Life and Stigma
Stigma is a historical and social phenomenon that has influenced a variety of aspects of human life. Particular diseases, such as leprosy , human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV and AIDS), and epilepsy among others, a
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Springer Science+Business Media LLC 2010 (USA)
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Quality of Life and Stigma
Abstract: > Stigma is a historical and social phenomenon that has influenced a variety of aspects of human life. Particular diseases, such as > leprosy, human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV and AIDS), and > epilepsy among others, are typical examples of diseases affected by stigma. A variety of reports have shown strong and significant rates of stigma against people with these diseases by the general population and even by their families and health workers in different societies. Resulting deterioration in the mental health, such as depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms, of these people has also been reported. Pioneering studies have revealed that quality of life (QOL) is most significantly lowered by the presence of > perceived stigma, which represents the internal belief of affected people that they are being stigmatized, rather than the actual stigmatic beliefs and behaviors rendered by others. Previous efforts of international communities such as > United Nations (UN) systems, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders have mainly been aimed at decreasing the prevalence and incidence of such diseases. However, it is imperative to pay sufficient attention to the QOL and stigmatization of people with these diseases in terms of their human rights, dignity, and physical, mental and social well-being. Integrating perspectives on stigma and QOL among people who are living with diseases susceptible to stigmatization into existing internationally prioritized development strategies, policies and programs, e.g., > Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with long-term perspectives is important. Further empirical studies on this issue and implementation and evaluation of the strategies, policies and programs are warranted. List of Abbreviations: ADL, Activities of daily living; AIDS, Acquired immunodeficiency Syndrome; ANCOVA, Analysis of covariance; HIV, Human immunodeficiency virus; MDGs, Millennium Development Goals; NGOs, Non governmental organizations; QOL, Quality of life; SRQ, > Self-Reporting Questionnaire; STIs, Sexually transmitted infections; UN, United Nations; WHO, > World Health Organization; WHOQOL-BREF, > World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF
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Introduction
Stigma was defined by the pioneering social science research of Goffman as an ‘‘attribute that is deeply discrediting and that reduces the bearer from a whole and usual person to a trained, discounted one’’ (Goffman, 1963). Goffman proposed that stigma is produced in three basic forms, namely ‘‘overt physical deformation,’’ ‘‘deviation of personal traits’’ that might be translated as personal traits labeled as ‘‘different,’’ and ‘‘tribal stigma,’’ although the specific social categories that can become stigmatized vary across times and cultural settings (Goffman, 1963). Stigma has been conferred on multiple aspects of human life, including poverty, race, gender and sexual minorities such as homosexu
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