Development of a measure of stigma towards occupational stress for mental health professionals

An integrated empirical and computational study to decipher help-seeking behaviors and vocal stigma

BACKGROUND

Professional voice users often experience stigma associated with voice disorders and are reluctant to seek medical help. This study deployed empirical and computational tools to (1) quantify the experience of vocal stigma and help-seeking behaviors in performers; and (2) predict their modulations with peer influences in social networks.

METHODS

Experience of vocal stigma and information-motivation-behavioral (IMB) skills were prospectively profiled using online surveys from a total of 403 Canadians (200 singers and actors and 203 controls). Data were used to formulate an agent-based network model of social interactions on vocal stigma (self-stigma and social-stigma) and help-seeking behaviors. Network analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of social network structure on the flow of IMB among virtual agents.

RESULTS

Larger social networks are more likely to contribute to an increase in vocal stigma. For small social networks, total stigma is reduced with higher total IMB but not much so for large networks. For agents with high social-stigma and risk for voice disorder, their vocal stigma is resistant to large changes in IMB ( > 2 standard deviations). Agents with extreme IMB and stigma values are likely to polarize their networks faster in larger social groups.

CONCLUSIONS

We integrated empirical surveys and computational techniques to contextualize vocal stigma and IMB beyond theory and to quantify the interaction among stigma, health-seeking behavior and influence of social interactions. This work establishes an effective, predictable experimental platform to provide scientific evidence in developing interventions to reduce health stigma in voice disorders and other medical conditions.

Psychiatrists' occupational stigma conceptualization, measurement, and intervention: A literature review

Psychiatrists require frequent contact with and treatment of patients with mental illnesses. Due to the influence of associative stigma, psychiatrists may also be targets of stigma. Occupational stigma warrants special consideration because it significantly affects psychiatrists' career advancement, well-being, and their patients' health. Given that there is no complete summary of this issue, this study reviewed the existing literature on psychiatrists' occupational stigma to clearly synthesize its concepts, measurement tools, and intervention strategies. Herein, we emphasize that psychiatrists' occupational stigma is a multifaceted concept that simultaneously encompasses physically, socially, and morally tainted aspects. Currently, standardized methods to specifically measure psychiatrists' occupational stigma are lacking. Interventions for psychiatrists' occupational stigma may consider the use of protest, contact, education, comprehensive and systematic methods, as well as the use of psychotherapeutic approaches. This review provides a theoretical basis for the development of relevant measurement tools and intervention practices. Overall, this review seeks to raise public awareness of psychiatrists' occupational stigma, thereby promoting psychiatric professionalism and reducing its stigma.

Platform riders' occupational stigma consciousness and workplace deviant behavior: the mediating role of self-depletion

Purpose

The study aims to analyze how occupational stigma consciousness affects workplace deviant behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a time-lagged research design. Data from 354 riders working on the platform were gathered, and multiple regression and bootstrapping were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Based on the ego depletion theory and resource perspective, the study explores the relationship between the occupational stigma consciousness and workplace deviant behavior of platform riders in China. Occupational stigma consciousness promotes workplace deviant behavior; self-depletion mediates the positive relationship between occupational stigma consciousness and workplace deviant behavior and workplace mindfulness exerts a negative moderating effect on the relationship between occupational stigma consciousness and self-depletion.

Originality/value

The study provides a resource perspective to understand how occupational stigma consciousness is related to workplace deviant behavior and how workplace mindfulness alleviates resource depletion caused by occupational stigma consciousness. The research results provide practical information for managers to reduce deviant behavior, which helps to promote riders' performance on the platform.