Castro Monreal, Diego;
(2025)
Understanding the antecedents of internalised stigma among multiple groups: The role of discrimination experiences, protective factors, and stigma characteristics.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Considering that most research on internalised stigma has focused on its negative outcomes, this thesis explored a rather neglected question about what its antecedents are. In addition, stigma research has usually focused on single groups at a time, without considering the commonalities and differences of internalised stigma across different groups. Focusing on the role of discrimination experiences, protective factors (including social support and coping strategies), and stigma characteristics, this thesis studied the processes leading to the internalisation of stigma among LGB, racial minorities, higher-body weight, and working-class people. Two main studies were conducted to achieve this objective: a measurement study, aiming at developing an internalised stigma scale that allows for direct group comparisons, and a mixed-methods longitudinal study, aiming at addressing the main research questions and hypotheses of the thesis. The measurement study (n = 238) was conducted in the UK and Chile to develop a multiple-group internalised stigma scale in two languages (English and Spanish) and across the four groups mentioned. In this study, the scale was developed demonstrating good levels of reliability and validity, with two factors: self-focused and group-focused internalised stigma. The longitudinal study was conducted with emerging adults in Chile from the same four groups (n = 729 in the first wave). This study aimed to understand what the antecedents of internalised stigma are, how internalised stigma changes over time and what the role of these antecedents is in such change. Participants completed a survey on three occasions over the course of one year. In this survey, participants also wrote brief narrative accounts of a recent discrimination experience. This study allowed for cross-sectional and longitudinal mixed-methods analyses, which shed light on the role of experiencing discrimination, social support, coping strategies, and stigma characteristics in the processes of stigma internalisation.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Understanding the antecedents of internalised stigma among multiple groups: The role of discrimination experiences, protective factors, and stigma characteristics |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| Keywords: | internalised stigma, stigma, minoritised groups, discrimination |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10209486 |
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