Weight stigma: a potential barrier to psychiatric/mental health medication care

Kiki M. Kline, Elizabeth A. O’neill, Stephanie Behar, Virginia Ramseyer Winter, Jonathan P. Clemens

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Weight stigma is pervasive in the United States, and its presence in healthcare settings can lead to an avoidance of healthcare services. This study examined whether experienced weight stigma or weight self-stigma predicted psychiatric/mental health medication visits. A total of 384 self-identified female participants completed an online survey about stigma and utilization of healthcare services. Binary logistic regression analyses indicated that having been discriminated against because of body weight, and weight self-stigma, predicted avoidance. Results suggest weight stigma may have negative implications for psychiatric/mental health medication visits. Implications for social work research, practice, and advocacy are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)492-509
Number of pages18
JournalSocial Work in Mental Health
Volume21
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Taylor & Francis.

Keywords

  • Healthcare avoidance
  • mental healthcare
  • psychiatric healthcare
  • self-stigma
  • weight stigma

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