Breaking the Silence: Overcoming stigma in health choices through group discussions
Abstract: Restrictive social norms and stigma can limit the adoption of beneficial health practices and technologies. Individuals may refrain from seeking the care or accessing the products they need for fear of being judged. A small spark to break the silence and get the discussion going can be enough to transform perceptions of social norms, break the taboos, and boost beneficial health choices.
What does buying tampons, seeking mental health support, getting screened for lung cancer and buying a condom have in common? All of these are good, prudent choices that can potentially increase your physical and mental health and well-being. And yet, all across the world, people who would stand to benefit from these actions refrain from them for fear of being seen, judged and ostracized by their peers and communities. Getting pads or tampons? There is something ‘unclean’ about you… Seeking mental health support? You must be a loonie... Lung cancer? Smoke much? … The information - even if untrue - that individuals fear to reveal about themselves by engaging in these beneficial health practices may prevent them from making those privately optimal health decisions.
References
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About the Author
Dr. Clarissa Mang
Clarissa is a consultant at The Decision Lab. She is passionate about bridging the gap between academic research and the practical applications of behavioral science, enhancing the capabilities of policymakers and business leaders to make evidence-based and data-driven decisions. She holds a PhD in Economics from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich in Germany. Her research focused on the role of psychological and social constructs in designing successful health and development policies, such as the role of social norms in expanding women’s access to menstrual products in Bangladesh.
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