IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v70y2024i4p739-749.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Internalized stigma: Social support, coping, psychological distress, and mental well-being among older adults in Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Mabel Oti-Boadi
  • Johnny Andoh-Arthur
  • Kwamina Abekah-Carter
  • Daniel Naawenkangua Abukuri

Abstract

Background: Older adults have been found to internalize stigma from society and this has been linked to several variables including social support, coping, psychological distress, and mental well-being. However, there is a dearth of research on how these variables interact with each other to impact the life of older adults. Aims: This study employed path analysis to explore social support and coping as boundary conditions and underlying mechanisms in the link between internalized stigma, psychological distress, and mental well-being, among older adults in Ghana. Method: Using a cross-sectional design, the study recruited 167 older adults who responded to standardized questionnaires including The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, The Brief Coping Inventory, Kessler Distress Scale, and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, to determine levels of internalized stigma, social support, coping strategies, psychological distress, and mental well-being, respectively. Results: The findings revealed that at low levels of social support, there is a significant and positive correlation between internalized stigma and mental well-being (β = −.36, SE  = 0.17, p  

Suggested Citation

  • Mabel Oti-Boadi & Johnny Andoh-Arthur & Kwamina Abekah-Carter & Daniel Naawenkangua Abukuri, 2024. "Internalized stigma: Social support, coping, psychological distress, and mental well-being among older adults in Ghana," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(4), pages 739-749, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:4:p:739-749
    DOI: 10.1177/00207640241227128
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640241227128
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00207640241227128?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Teresa Mayordomo-Rodríguez & Juan Meléndez-Moral & Paz Viguer-Segui & Alicia Sales-Galán, 2015. "Coping Strategies as Predictors of Well-Being in Youth Adult," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(2), pages 479-489, June.
    2. Becca R. Levy & Jeffrey M. Hausdorff & Rebecca Hencke & Jeanne Y. Wei, 2000. "Reducing Cardiovascular Stress With Positive Self-Stereotypes of Aging," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 55(4), pages 205-213.
    3. Hava Tovel & Sara Carmel, 2014. "Maintaining Successful Aging: The Role of Coping Patterns and Resources," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 255-270, April.
    4. David Weiss, 2018. "On the Inevitability of Aging: Essentialist Beliefs Moderate the Impact of Negative Age Stereotypes on Older Adults’ Memory Performance and Physiological Reactivity," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 73(6), pages 925-933.
    5. Jiannan Li & Wenqi Liang & Bocong Yuan & Guojun Zeng, 2020. "Internalized Stigmatization, Social Support, and Individual Mental Health Problems in the Public Health Crisis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-14, June.
    6. Kwamina Abekah-Carter & George Ofosu Oti, 2022. "Perspectives of community members on homeless people with mental illness in Nsawam, Ghana," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 68(1), pages 196-202, February.
    7. Maria-Fernanda Reyes & Encarnación Satorres & Iraida Delhom & Alexandra Bueno-Pacheco & Juan C. Meléndez, 2021. "Coping and Life Satisfaction in Colombian Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-8, October.
    8. Becca R. Levy, 2003. "Mind Matters: Cognitive and Physical Effects of Aging Self-Stereotypes," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 58(4), pages 203-211.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Verena Klusmann & Nanna Notthoff & Ann-Kristin Beyer & Anne Blawert & Martina Gabrian, 2020. "The assessment of views on ageing: a review of self-report measures and innovative extensions," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 403-433, December.
    2. Martin Söllner & Mirjam Dürnberger & Johannes Keller & Arnd Florack, 2022. "The Impact of Age Stereotypes on Well-being: Strategies of Selection, Optimization, and Compensation as Mediator and Regulatory Focus as Moderator: Findings from a Cross-Sectional and a Longitudinal S," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 635-665, February.
    3. Sibila Marques & João Mariano & Joana Mendonça & Wouter De Tavernier & Moritz Hess & Laura Naegele & Filomena Peixeiro & Daniel Martins, 2020. "Determinants of Ageism against Older Adults: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-27, April.
    4. Paul Alhassan Issahaku & Alhassan Sulemana, 2021. "Older Adults’ Expectations and Experiences With Health care Professionals in Ghana," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, August.
    5. E-Shien Chang & Sneha Kannoth & Samantha Levy & Shi-Yi Wang & John E Lee & Becca R Levy, 2020. "Global reach of ageism on older persons’ health: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(1), pages 1-24, January.
    6. Alaina N. English & Jennifer A. Bellingtier & Shevaun D. Neupert, 2019. "It’s “the Joneses”: the influence of objective and subjective socioeconomic status on subjective perceptions of aging," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 121-128, March.
    7. Zhong, Sinan & Lee, Chanam & Foster, Margaret J. & Bian, Jiahe, 2020. "Intergenerational communities: A systematic literature review of intergenerational interactions and older adults’ health-related outcomes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    8. O'Donnell, Aisling T. & Foran, Aoife-Marie, 2024. "The link between anticipated and internalized stigma and depression: A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 349(C).
    9. Hao Li & Ling Zheng & Hong Le & Lijun Zhuo & Qian Wu & Guoqing Ma & Hongbing Tao, 2020. "The Mediating Role of Internalized Stigma and Shame on the Relationship between COVID-19 Related Discrimination and Mental Health Outcomes among Back-to-School Students in Wuhan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Alana Officer & Jotheeswaran Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan & Mira Leonie Schneiders & Paul Nash & Vânia de la Fuente-Núñez, 2020. "Ageism, Healthy Life Expectancy and Population Ageing: How Are They Related?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-11, May.
    11. Fanni Vörös & Georg Gartner & Michael P. Peterson & Béla Kovács, 2023. "Do Social Aspects Affect Built-in Car Navigation Habits? A Stereotype Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-23, March.
    12. Fan Yang & Yao Jiang, 2020. "Heterogeneous Influences of Social Support on Physical and Mental Health: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-17, September.
    13. Bibiana M Armenta & Katherine Stroebe & Susanne Scheibe & Tom Postmes & Nico W Van Yperen, 2017. "Feeling younger and identifying with older adults: Testing two routes to maintaining well-being in the face of age discrimination," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(11), pages 1-21, November.
    14. Daniela S. Jopp & Seojung Jung & Amanda K. Damarin & Sheena Mirpuri & Dario Spini, 2017. "Who Is Your Successful Aging Role Model?," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 72(2), pages 237-247.
    15. Frida Sara Rivera-Ochoa & Ixel Venecia González-Herrera & Mariano Zacarías-Flores & Elsa Correa-Muñoz & Víctor Manuel Mendoza-Núñez & Martha A. Sánchez-Rodríguez, 2022. "Relationship between Self-Perception of Aging and Quality of Life in the Different Stages of Reproductive Aging in Mexican Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-12, June.
    16. Reuben Ng & Heather G. Allore & Becca R. Levy, 2020. "Self-Acceptance and Interdependence Promote Longevity: Evidence From a 20-year Prospective Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-15, August.
    17. Helene H. Fung & Tianyuan Li & Xin Zhang & Iny M. I. Sit & Sheung-Tak Cheng & Derek M. Isaacowitz, 2015. "Positive Portrayals of Old Age Do Not Always Have Positive Consequences," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(6), pages 913-924.
    18. A. E. Burton & S. E. Dean & W. Demeyin & J. Reeves, 2021. "Questionnaire measures of self-directed ageing stereotype in older adults: a systematic review of measurement properties," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 117-144, March.
    19. Yael Benyamini & Edith Burns, 2020. "Views on aging: older adults’ self-perceptions of age and of health," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 477-487, December.
    20. Levy, Becca R. & Chung, Pil H. & Slade, Martin D. & Van Ness, Peter H. & Pietrzak, Robert H., 2019. "Active coping shields against negative aging self-stereotypes contributing to psychiatric conditions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 25-29.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:4:p:739-749. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.