The study assessed data from 468 participants using questionnaires that measured perceived social support, internalized stigma, and depressive symptoms. Social support is defined as the degree to which an individual receives emotional, instrumental, and informational help from others. Perceived social support refers to how much people think they receive such assistance. It can come from family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, strangers, online groups, and more. Internalized stigma is when someone accepts negative attitudes about their group's identity, feeling ashamed, guilty, inferior, or unworthy because of it. Depression is characterized by low mood, lack of motivation, fatigue, insomnia, loss of interest, irritability, guilt, shame, and suicidal thoughts. The researchers hypothesized that greater social support would buffer against internalized stigma and reduce depressive symptoms. This hypothesis was supported by strong correlations between these factors, indicating that each predicts the other.
After controlling for demographic variables, results showed that greater perceived social support predicted lower internalized stigma and fewer depressive symptoms. When perceived support increased, internalized stigma decreased significantly and depressive symptoms also declined. These findings indicate that social support may play a protective role in reducing the mental health impact of internalized stigma.
There are some limitations to this study. Firstly, it only examines cross-sectional associations; longitudinal studies are needed to establish causality. Secondly, the sample size was relatively small and not diverse enough; future research should include more participants from different cultural backgrounds. Thirdly, the measures used were self-reported questionnaires which could be subject to biases like acquiescence bias or socially desirable responding. Future research should develop objective measures of social support, internalized stigma, and depressive symptoms.
This article provides evidence that social support can help people cope with negative stereotypes and improve their wellbeing.
In what ways does perceived social support buffer against internalized stigma and depressive symptoms?
Internalized stigma refers to negative beliefs about oneself that arise from experiencing discrimination or rejection based on a particular identity (e. g. , race, sexual orientation). Depression is a common mental health disorder characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and decreased motivation. Research has found that individuals with higher levels of internalized stigma report more severe depressive symptoms than those who do not experience such stigma.