While there are many different kinds of social stigmas,mental healthstigma tends to be very common.
It can be strong, and it can impact both mental and physical health outcomes in serious ways.
This article will discuss what stigma is and examples and types of stigma.

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It also addresses the impacts and how to cope.
Examples of stigma include:
What Causes Stigma?
A few different theories attempt to explain why some people stigmatize others.
These include:
Types of Stigma
There are three primary types of stigma.
It relates to social disapproval of the person or group based on the mental health feature.
The negative beliefs can come from a variety of sources, including the person with that mental health feature.
For example, stigmas are often associated with mental illnesses such asdepression.
It relates to social disapproval of the person or group based on the physical feature or condition.
This can lead to serious negative effects.
Like mental health stigma, there are different types of physical deformation stigma.
Stigma Associated With Race, Ethnicity, Religion, Ideology, etc.
It relates to social disapproval of the person or group based on the feature or features.
This punch in of stigma can impact generations and has influenced laws and politics throughout history.
For example, people who have been stigmatized may become homeless or develop substance use disorders.
Some may become victims of violent crime.
Despite the challenges, there are ways to cope with stigmas.
It can lead to discrimination and negatively impact mental health and overall wellbeing.
Despite the negative effects of stigma, there are strategies to help cope with and overcome these challenges.
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