Experiences of stigma related to mental illness among youth in three New Brunswick communities
This study aims to understand how youth who receive mental health (MH) services perceive stigma related to mental illness and how this was experienced during their trajectory toward care and recovery. Discussion groups were carried out with 25 youths in three New Brunswick communities (remote Indigenous, rural Francophone and urban Anglophone). Thematic analysis reveals that youth’s experiences of stigma reflect various forms of discrediting as well as differential, dehumanising treatment, which lead them to look for stigma-free alternatives that better meet their needs. This shows that youth actively select their options for MH support depending on the stigma they perceive. Results also show important socio-cultural nuances with regards to youth’s experiences and to the strategies and factors that enable or mitigate stigma. Their accounts hold valuable lessons for destigmatizing mental illness and the access to youth MH services for different cultural groups.