The academic journal Stigma and Health provides a platform for research at the intersection of social dynamics and public health. It addresses how stigma influences the well-being and health outcomes of individuals and populations. The publication consolidates scientific inquiry into the relationship between social prejudice and health disparities. This focus makes it a specialized resource for understanding this determinant of health.
Purpose and Scope of the Journal
The mission of Stigma and Health is to publish peer-reviewed research that investigates the ways stigma affects health. The journal’s scope encompasses the study of stigma in its various forms. It publishes studies that test hypotheses about its impacts on individuals, including how stigma can lead to public prejudice, diminished self-worth, and negative health consequences.
Content addresses stigma related to a wide array of conditions and identities. This includes mental health conditions, physical illnesses, and disabilities. The journal also explores stigma associated with substance use, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity, fostering an understanding of how social marginalization creates health inequities.
The scope extends to research on interventions designed to mitigate the effects of stigma. The journal welcomes studies that evaluate the effectiveness of anti-stigma programs, policy changes, and clinical practices aimed at improving health outcomes. It also publishes theoretical reviews and reports on innovative approaches to dismantle the barriers stigma creates.
Key Research Areas Published
The journal features empirical work explaining the underlying mechanisms and effects of stigma. A primary area of inquiry involves self-stigma, or internalized stigma, where individuals absorb negative societal beliefs. Research articles explore how this process influences health-related behaviors, such as the reluctance to seek professional help or to adhere to treatment regimens for chronic diseases.
Another research theme is structural stigma, which refers to the rules, policies, and practices of institutions that create disadvantages for stigmatized groups. The journal publishes analyses of how these systemic barriers manifest within healthcare settings. For example, studies might investigate how hospital policies or resource allocation patterns result in disparate health outcomes for racial or ethnic minorities or for patients with a history of substance use.
The journal also features research on the development and validation of measurement tools. These psychometric studies focus on creating reliable instruments to assess stigma and its correlates across different populations and contexts. An article might detail the evaluation of a new scale to measure the experiences of stigma among sexual minorities, which helps researchers quantify stigma effectively.
Publisher and Intended Audience
Stigma and Health is a peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA’s involvement signifies a commitment to high standards of scientific rigor and ethical conduct. As a leading professional organization, the APA provides the infrastructure to support the journal’s role in advancing psychological science.
The publication is aimed at a professional audience, including academic researchers from disciplines like clinical and social psychology, public health, sociology, and social work. It also serves as a resource for clinical practitioners, public health officials, and policymakers. The content is also valuable for graduate students preparing for careers in these fields.
Accessing and Contributing to the Journal
Readers can access the content of Stigma and Health through several channels. Many universities and research institutions provide access through library subscriptions to academic databases. The journal is available electronically through the APA’s platform, APA PsycNet, as well as other aggregators like EBSCOhost and ProQuest. Individual subscriptions are also available.
Researchers who wish to contribute their work must follow a formal submission process. Prospective authors must adhere to manuscript preparation guidelines detailed on the journal’s official webpage on the APA website. The journal accepts various types of articles, including regular empirical reports and brief reports.