Discrimination and Stigma

Discrimination is a broad term that describes the mistreatment and exclusion of people based on things like race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender, ability, age, and other part's of people's identities. Stigma, however, refers to negative perceptions and misunderstandings people hold about certain individuals or groups. Even one incident of mistreatment can create long-term emotional scars and impact your mental health; it can make you feel alienated, misunderstood, unwelcome, and unworthy.

Sometimes, discrimination and stigma can be insidious--damaging but hard to notice right away. Sometimes, though, it's very clear when discrimination is happening. In the United States, there have been massive efforts to combat discrimination, but unfortunately, it persists. Recent studies show nearly 70% of Americans have experienced some form of discrimination, and higher rates of experience with discrimination are related to poorer mental health outcomes and higher risk of suicide.

LGBTQ+ face a great deal of discrimination and stigma, despite higher visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ+ folks today. It can take many forms, ranging from discriminatory policy decisions, larger societal misconceptions, to interpersonal discrimination like familial and social rejection. This has an undeniable impact on the mental health of LGBTQ+ people; data shows that LGBTQ+ individuals are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and substance abuse issues compared to their straight, cisgender peers.

Because discrimination and stigma is still so prevalent, it can be hard to point to exactly what causes it depending on the kind you're experiencing. But living through discrimination and stigma is far from easy. It can cause a range of feelings including anger, shame, fear, and sadness. It can even contribute to physical and mental health problems—though it’s important to note that isn’t inherently because of who you are but because of the negative impact of prolonged mistreatment.

It's still common to experience multiple forms of discrimination and stigma at once, or different kinds at different times. This is called intersectionality, the intricate ways in which our parts of our identities interact, oppress, and empower us. 

The consequences for your mental health vary widely based on what kind of discrimination you're experiencing and how many buffers you have against it.

1. American Psychological Association. The Impact of Discrimination
2. Kaiser family foundation study