MENTAL ILLNESS STIGMA IN DENMARK AND CAMEROON: EXPLORING THE SOCIAL WORKERS' PERSPECTIVES AND APPROACHES TO STIGMA REDUCTION
Author
Tchinda Fokou, Loic
Term
4. Semester
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-08-28
Pages
65
Abstract
Negative holdninger til mennesker med psykiske lidelser har alvorlige konsekvenser for trivsel og recovery. I både Danmark og Cameroun kæmper personer med psykisk sygdom ikke kun med symptomer og funktionsnedsættelser, men også med stereotyper og fordomme. Denne undersøgelse udforsker, hvordan socialarbejdere i de to lande forstår psykisk sygdoms stigma, og hvordan de omsætter princippet om social retfærdighed i anti-stigma-arbejde på mikro-, mezzo- og makroniveau. Med målrettet udvælgelse blev fire socialarbejdere interviewet gennem hermeneutiske, semistrukturerede individuelle interviews. Analysen blev informeret af Links stemplingsteori, Honneths anerkendelsesteori, transpersonel teori, Andersens empowermentteori og Corrigan m.fl.s ramme for protest, oplysning og kontakt. Resultaterne peger på, at stigma opfattes som et komplekst fænomen forankret i kulturelle identiteter og stereotyper, som fremmer ”othering” og stempling. Socialarbejderne anvender en række afstigmatiseringsstrategier præget af empowerment-perspektiver. Studiet understreger behovet for socialretfærdighedsorienterede indsatser og tværgående tiltag i både kliniske og lokalsamfundsnære sammenhænge.
Negative attitudes toward people with mental disorders have serious consequences for well-being and recovery. In both Denmark and Cameroon, people living with mental illness face not only symptoms and disability but also stereotypes and prejudice. This study examines how social workers in the two countries understand the dimensions of mental illness stigma and how they translate the ethical principle of social justice into anti-stigma practice at the micro (individual), mezzo (community), and macro (structural) levels. Using purposive sampling, four social workers were interviewed through hermeneutic, semi-structured individual interviews. The analysis drew on Link’s labelling theory, Honneth’s recognition theory, transpersonal theory, Andersen’s empowerment theory, and Corrigan et al.’s protest, education, and contact framework. Findings indicate that stigma is viewed as a complex phenomenon rooted in cultural identities and stereotypes that foster othering and labelling. The social workers employ a variety of stigma-reduction strategies informed by empowerment perspectives. The study highlights the need for social-justice-oriented, multi-level interventions in both clinical and community settings.
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