Addressing Intersectionality: Challenging Standard Approaches to Addressing Mental Illness Stigma in Higher Education
摘要
Mental illness stigma persists in higher education and has negative effects on student help-seeking behaviors, self-esteem, and sense of belonging on campus. Although mental illness stigma is an important issue to address on college campuses, progress cannot be achieved without considering how students from minoritized backgrounds are impacted by intersectional stigma. In this chapter, we consider how students experience mental illness stigma in the context of their various identities and unique lived experiences. We do so by describing the types of stigma and stereotyping students face, institutional ignorance of students’ lived experiences, the impact of the institutional past and present on minoritized students, and inadequate and culturally ignorant practices on college campuses. To address intersectional mental illness stigma, we recommend that institutions recognize the needs of the entire student body and not only individuals from various privileged groups. This can be achieved through the active collaboration of multiple departments across campus and addressing policies and procedures that further stigmatize minoritized students. Further, we provide an example of an institution making progress toward incorporating intersectionality theory to address concerns around mental illness stigma on campus.