Ending Self Stigma Workshop
Sep 7th, 2011 by admin
TheMHS 2011, September 7 – 2011
Ending Self Stigma: A Promising New Intervention to Reduce Internalized Stigma Regarding Mental Health Problems in Aust and US
Presented by Alicia Lucksted, Amy Drapalski, Keith Mahar and Mark Crowley
Introductions from the team regarding their roles in the project and backgrounds.
Discussion of Societal Stigma – the negative regard that people with mental health problems face because of negative stereotypes and biases that others believe.
What is Internalised Stigma – opens this up to the floor to hear from the audience with many responses some of which are listed below:
- perceptions, filters
-how you judge yourself
-assumptions
Societal Stigma and Internalised Stigma both have harmful effects. Societal stigma takes a long time to change whereas Internalised Stigma is something that individuals can take on board and get change more rapidly.
Panel members then discussed their own experiences regarding diagnosis and self-stigma – with feelings of hopelessness and shame believing maybe they would never work again.
Consumers from the floor then also shared their experiences regarding their feelings of self-worth and doubt at times.
The panel then went on to describe the ESS Intervention:
The format is 9 sessions of small groups 6-8 in a group. The sessio combines didactic elements with cognitive and skill building techniues, strategy practice and interactive discussion.
The Nine Sessions follow this format:
Session One: Societal stigma what it is and what it does. Internalized stigma ho it is distinct its impacts and importance. Common myths and stereotypes about mental illness, their connections to self stigma and the importance of knowing that they are false
Session Two: The inherent connections between our thoughts our feelings and our behviours – automatic thoughts’ as part of internalized stigma. Introduction to the 3cs strategy to ameliorate/challenge them foucsing on part1: catch it
Session Three: Completing the 3cs strategy part 2 – check it and change it – the thought behaviour feeling cycle and internalized stigma
Session Four: Importance of and strategies for strengthening yourself ‘growing the positive aspects of yourself that you may have to put on the backburner due to mental illness and other challenges
Session Five: Increasing belonging part 1 – the importance of belonging and positive connections with others in staying strong, resisting internalized stigma, reducing alienation – practical strategies for increasing belonging.
Session Six: Increasing belonging part 2 – the importance of and strategies for optimizing relationships with family and close friends, increasing the positive, reducing the negative and taking care of ones self to enjoy the former and tolerate the latter
Session Seven: Responding to stigma, disrespect or discrimination from others in ways that dont lead to internalized stigma. Cognitive and behavioural strategies revisiting the thoughts-feelings – behaviours cycle.
Session Eight: Course recap, summary of each session and its accompanying strategies
Session Nine: Next Steps, crafting an action plan for after the class. Course evaluation.
The workshop then went through two practical exercises for reducing internalised stigma, discussed the effectiveness of ESS and discussed future work.
For more information on this program : view
Lucksted A, Drapalski A, Calmes C, Forbes C, DeForge B, Boyd J (July 2011) Ending Self Stigma – Pilot evaluation of a new intervention to reduce internalized stigma among people with mental illnesses Psych Rehab Journal 35(1): 51-54
[...] I just returned from the Mental Health Services Conference in Adelaide, where I contributed to the delivery of a workshop on a course, Ending Self Stigma: (link). [...]