Perceived stigma and health-related quality of life in the working uninsured

Does thwarted belongingness play a role

Bibliographic Data

ID15744002
AuthorsJameson K Hirsch (0000-0003-3901-0452, University of Sheffield, corresponding author), Fuschia M Sirois (0000-0002-0927-277X), Preston L Visser (Coburg University of Applied Sciences), Byron D Brooks (0000-0002-6419-5076, University of Sheffield), Niko Kohls (0000-0002-9761-4839, Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry), Martin Offenbächer (0000-0003-4729-0044, Luther College), Loren L Toussaint (0000-0001-8876-1848, East Tennessee State University)
Year2017
Volume4
Issue1
Pages1-10
Publication date2017-09-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueStigma and Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2376-6964 • E-ISSN: 2376-6972
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1037/sah0000116
OpenAlexW2748059717
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited36

The extent to which individuals perceive stigma from others and internalize stigmatizing beliefs is increasingly recognized as a contributor to psychological and physical distress. Individuals in poverty may feel increasingly stigmatized as a result of financial hardship; however, little research has examined the linkage of financial stigma to health outcomes, nor the potential underlying explanatory mechanisms of such an association. According to Self-Determination Theory, loss of social capital, which often occurs when a person is stigmatized, may deleteriously affect health outcomes, yet this premise has not been tested. We assessed the incremental impact of sociodemographic characteristics, and experienced and internalized financial stigma, on health-related quality of life (HRQL), as well as the mediating effect of belongingness, in a sample of 100 working, uninsured primary care patients. Results confirmed that experienced and internalized perceived stigma contributed additional variance, over the effects of sociodemographic factors, to poor HRQL, and belongingness was a significant mediator. Financial stigma may increase isolation, reducing opportunities for meaningful social connections, thereby deleteriously impacting mental and physical health outcomes. Therapeutically addressing stigma, and bolstering social connectedness, may improve HRQL in the underserved and impoverished

Belongingness · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Quality of life (healthcare · Stigma (botany · Employment and Welfare Studies · Health disparities and outcomes · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social Psychology