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Behavioral Sciences
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The Impact of Social Stigma on Marginalized Populations
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The Impact of Social Stigma on Marginalized Populations

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 5579

Editors

Prof. Dr. Ratchneewan Ross

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Nursing, The University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Interests: mental health of complex; culturally diverse and marginalized populations who have experienced stigmatization; violence, trauma and extreme stress; mixed methods; research methodology; measurement and tool development
Dr. Forgive Avorgbedor

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27403, USA
Interests: women’s health; reproductive women; pregnant women; postpartum women; infant health; health disparity; social determinant of health; pregnancy complication; cardiovascular health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Social stigma is a negative attitude towards/discrimination against an individual or a group of people whose health conditions, beliefs, and behaviors do not align with societal norms, an example being persons living with HIV. Social stigmas can lead to treatment non-adherence, negative health outcomes, psychological trauma, financial security, various types of violence, etc.

This Special Issue calls for short communications, reviews, theoretical contributions (e.g., concept analysis, theory analysis, theory development), and original studies (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, research methods, and psychometric properties of instruments) along with quality improvement, EBP, and policy analysis related to social stigma. Suggested populations of interests include, but are not limit to, the following:

  • Caregivers and healthcare providers who care for marginalized populations at risk for social stigma.
  • Individuals/groups of people who have directly experienced social stigma (e.g., mental health problems, substance abuse disorder, homelessness, HIV infection, poverty, obesity, LGBTQ+, women with infertility (in some cultures), minorities in some cultures, and more).

Prof. Dr. Ratchneewan Ross
Dr. Forgive Avorgbedor
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • stigma
  • culturally diverse
  • marginalized groups
  • violence
  • trauma
  • mental health
  • health outcomes
  • measurement and tool development
  • positive psychology
  • research methods

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 516 KB  
Article
Affiliate Stigma Among Caregivers of Older People Living with HIV: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study
by Xiaohui Peng, Shan Wu, Liwen Jiang, Yanhua Chen and Fengling Dai
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 990; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16060990 - 15 Jun 2026
Viewed by 290
Abstract
Background: The pivotal role of caregivers in HIV care for older people living with HIV (PLWH) stands in stark contrast to the scarcity of research on their experiences, particularly regarding affiliate stigma. Older PLWH face a unique intersection of HIV-related stigma and ageism, [...] Read more.
Background: The pivotal role of caregivers in HIV care for older people living with HIV (PLWH) stands in stark contrast to the scarcity of research on their experiences, particularly regarding affiliate stigma. Older PLWH face a unique intersection of HIV-related stigma and ageism, which may place their family caregivers at heightened risk of affiliate stigma. However, the manifestations, sources, and coping strategies related to this stigma remain poorly understood. Methods: The descriptive phenomenological study was conducted between May and June 2025 at an HIV care clinic of a tertiary hospital in Sichuan Province, China. Using purposive sampling, fifteen caregivers of elderly individuals living with HIV were recruited. Data were collected through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Results: Four overarching themes and eleven sub-themes were extracted: (1) sources of affiliate stigma—‘Inadequate knowledge of HIV transmission routes’, ‘Ageism’, and ‘Infidelity stigma’; (2) experiences of affiliate stigma—‘Stigma endorsement’, ‘Concealment of a family member’s HIV-positive status’ and ‘Psychological distress’; (3) consequences of affiliate stigma—‘Estrangement among family members’, ‘Substantial caregiver burden’ and ‘Social avoidance’; and (4) coping with affiliate stigma—‘Enhancing knowledge of HIV/AIDS’ and ‘Seeking social support’. Conclusion: This study investigates affiliate stigma among caregivers of older people with HIV. Healthcare providers should recognize this stigma and its negative effects. Effective interventions must be developed to alleviate this burden, thereby improving the welfare of both caregivers and patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Social Stigma on Marginalized Populations)
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18 pages, 261 KB  
Article
Between Visible Marks and Invisible Pain: A Qualitative Study of Multi-Layered Stigma Among Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in China
by Ning Xu and Hongzhe Xiang
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 848; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16060848 - 26 May 2026
Viewed by 297
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disproportionately affects women and often disrupts work, intimate relationships, and reproductive life. Although stigma is increasingly recognized in chronic illness, less is known about how it is experienced among women with SLE in China. Using an interpretive phenomenological design [...] Read more.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disproportionately affects women and often disrupts work, intimate relationships, and reproductive life. Although stigma is increasingly recognized in chronic illness, less is known about how it is experienced among women with SLE in China. Using an interpretive phenomenological design informed by health stigma theory, this qualitative study examined how stigma was produced, experienced, and managed in the everyday lives of 20 Chinese women living with SLE. Data were generated through semi-structured online interviews, chosen because of participants’ geographic dispersion and health-related constraints, and analyzed using an iterative thematic approach. The findings show that stigma operated through interconnected forms: visible bodily stigma linked to treatment-related appearance changes, invisible-symptom stigma that demanded ongoing credibility work, institutional stigma in employment, and gendered stigma in intimacy and motherhood. Participants responded through concealment, selective disclosure, and narrative labor: the work of presenting themselves as credible, responsible, and morally worthy despite social devaluation. These findings suggest that SLE stigma is not only interpersonal but also institutional and gendered, highlighting the need for stigma-sensitive clinical communication, workplace support, and reproductive counseling for women living with chronic illness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Social Stigma on Marginalized Populations)
24 pages, 1172 KB  
Article
Social Determinants of Health Influence on Trans and Gender-Diverse People: A Qualitative Photovoice Study
by Miguel García-Hernández, María Marín-Rodríguez, Ismael Jiménez-Ruiz, José Antonio Jiménez-Barbero, María Sánchez-Muñoz and María del Mar Pastor-Bravo
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16020265 - 11 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1001
Abstract
Despite the introduction of inclusive and gender-affirming approaches in healthcare, transgender and non-binary people continue to show poorer physical, psychological, and social outcomes, shaped by social determinants within historically pathologizing and stigmatizing contexts. This study used qualitative participatory action research with photovoice among [...] Read more.
Despite the introduction of inclusive and gender-affirming approaches in healthcare, transgender and non-binary people continue to show poorer physical, psychological, and social outcomes, shaped by social determinants within historically pathologizing and stigmatizing contexts. This study used qualitative participatory action research with photovoice among seven transgender individuals residing in Murcia, Spain; data were generated through semi-structured interviews and focus group dialogue, applying the SHOWED technique to the visual and discursive narratives of the participants, and analyzed with Atlas.ti v8. Educational, employment, and healthcare contexts significantly condition well-being. Well-being was determined by the circumstances and support in which gender identity is constructed, within sociocultural environments marked by gender stereotypes, exclusion from social spaces, and fears regarding the irreversibility of certain transition steps. Reported lifetime negative events, social barriers, exclusion, and persistent questioning of identity were associated with increased anxiety, depressive symptoms, and insomnia. At the same time, the relevance of resilience and support networks also emerged during the sessions. Replicating photovoice in diverse settings may help identify social and territorial inequities and inform improvements in clinical practice, healthcare education, public policies, and legislation for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Social Stigma on Marginalized Populations)
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16 pages, 308 KB  
Article
Measuring Public Occupational Stigma Toward Morticians: Scale Development, Validation, and Implications
by Jiejing Yu and Dongmei Huang
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1729; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121729 - 13 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1152
Abstract
The present study employed stigma theory to devise a scale measuring public occupational stigma towards morticians and subsequently analyzed its impact. In Phase 1 (n = 575), the researchers developed the Public Occupational Stigma toward Morticians Scale (POSMS) and conducted item analysis [...] Read more.
The present study employed stigma theory to devise a scale measuring public occupational stigma towards morticians and subsequently analyzed its impact. In Phase 1 (n = 575), the researchers developed the Public Occupational Stigma toward Morticians Scale (POSMS) and conducted item analysis and exploratory factor analysis. Phase 2 (n = 536, n = 466) conducted confirmatory factor analysis and retest reliability testing for the scale. Phase 3 (n = 1111) validated construct validity, measurement invariance across genders, and criterion-related validity. In summary, these results supported the reliability and validity of the POSMS and confirmed that public occupational stigma toward morticians had negative consequences. This study fills a gap in research on occupational stigma within the funeral industry and offers practical insights for addressing stigma-related issues in other professions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Social Stigma on Marginalized Populations)
10 pages, 226 KB  
Article
Cross-Sectional Analysis of Factors Predicting Food Assistance Stigma
by Frances Hardin-Fanning, Ratchneewan Ross and Shuying Sha
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 897; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15070897 - 1 Jul 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1693
Abstract
The stigma associated with food assistance can be a barrier to resolving food insecurity. Self-reliance expectations likely contribute to this stigma. Aim: This cross-sectional study identified factors that predict perceptions of food assistance stigma. Demographics (age, sex, race, and ethnicity) were collected, and [...] Read more.
The stigma associated with food assistance can be a barrier to resolving food insecurity. Self-reliance expectations likely contribute to this stigma. Aim: This cross-sectional study identified factors that predict perceptions of food assistance stigma. Demographics (age, sex, race, and ethnicity) were collected, and food assistance stigma (Food Resource Acceptability) and self-reliance (Self-Reliance Scale) were measured via REDCap questionnaires from 531 online participants. The research volunteer repository, Research Match, was used for recruitment. Multiple regression was conducted to determine food assistance stigma predictors. Older age, being male, and reporting higher self-reliance significantly predicted the likelihood of stigmatizing food assistance. The social expectation of self-reliance in adulthood contributes to an assigned and anticipated stigma associated with accepting food assistance. This stigma permeates many regions, particularly the United States, and likely contributes to unresolved food insecurity despite the availability of multiple food assistance resources. Future qualitative research should be conducted among older individuals and males with high levels of self-reliance to gain a deeper understanding of how food assistance stigma could be lessened so that appropriate stigma reduction interventions could be tested among this target group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Social Stigma on Marginalized Populations)
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