The literature on the internalized stigma (or self-stigma) of mental illness has been expanding rapidly. We review the key findings of two meta-analyses of the correlates and consequences that occurred a decade apart (Livingston & Boyd, 2010, Del Rosal et al., 2020), showing that internalized stigma is related to less self-esteem, quality of life, and hope; and related to greater experienced stigma, perceived stigma, and symptom severity. For empowerment, the relationship of internalized stigma was somewhat weaker in 2020 than in 2010. Neither found significant relationships with sociodemographic variables. Although more longitudinal studies are needed to better test the causal direction of these relationships, the overall findings are consistent with the idea that internalized stigma impedes recovery and adds to the burden of mental illness. While, more work needs to be done to understand the effects of internalized stigma on people with a variety of intersectional identities. we briefly describe the literature on a few contrasting types of marginalized identities: gender (female and transgender), race/ethnicity (African Americans), and profession (mental health professionals with a lived experience of mental illness). These summaries highlight that the consequences of internalized stigma may vary across intersectional identities. We conclude with suggestions for future research.

Individuals with mental illness can experience stigma and discrimination, which can cause adverse consequences (Zerger et al., 2014). Mental illness stigma and discrimination can also intersect with other marginalized social identities that individuals may possess, resulting in unique outcomes for individuals. Unfortunately, the research in this area is somewhat limited, often assumes an additive effect, and does not always consider less visible or more invisible marginalized identities (Turan et al., 2019; Williamson et al., 2017). The additive effect does not take into account the individual’s particular social context, such as elements of privilege, disadvantage, resiliency, which can impact the individual’s experiences (Mizock & Russinova, 2015). There is a need to better capture the experiences of people who face multiple stigmas, which could also help develop more effective mental health interventions (Oexle et al., 2018). This chapter will synthesize the literature in this area on mental illness stigma among various intersecting stigmatized groups, provide a critique of the current literature, and present implications for future treatment and research.