Research has been limited regarding the stigma experienced by parents of children with mental health challenges. It is commonly understood... Show moreResearch has been limited regarding the stigma experienced by parents of children with mental health challenges. It is commonly understood that stigma effects people with lived-experience (e.g., a child with mental health challenges), however, stigma has been noted to have a wide scope, which extends to family members as well. Parents of children with mental health challenges have been found to endorse aspects of self-stigma, specifically regarding public stereotypes of blame and feelings of incompetence. Vicarious stigma is a fairly new area of research, which describes the sad and/or angry response a parent may experience when witnessing their child being stigmatized. The purpose of this study is to examine emotional and behavioral outcomes related to specific types of stigma experienced by parents of children with mental health challenges. Archival data from a larger study of adult participants (N=50), who identified as having a child (age 3-10 years old) with mental health challenges, completed measures examining self-stigma, vicarious stigma, stress, depression, quality of life, disclosure, secrecy coping, and help-seeking. A novel measurement for vicarious stigma was introduced and examined in this study. Results found higher levels of self-stigma and dimensions of vicarious stigma were associated with higher levels of depression as well as diminished quality of life. Higher levels of self-stigma were also associated with lower perceived benefits of disclosing and greater levels of secrecy coping. These findings highlight the importance of further examining the role of stigma for parents of children with mental health challenges. Show less
