A Fulcrum of Change: From Self-Stigma to Resilience

This conceptual article has 2 major goals. The first goal is to explain the benefits of conducting comprehensive studies of resilience for adults who have a stigmatizing condition or who have a family member or close friend with a stigmatizing condition. The second goal is to propose a model that illuminates how 3 perceptual components of self-stigmatization (concordant/discordant views of self, balance of power, and social distance) mediate the change toward resilience on an ongoing basis in varying social contexts through the development of competence, compassion for others, and self-compassion. Competence, compassion for others, and compassion for self potentially moderate the harmful effects of self-stigmatization, fit with the overarching themes required for resilience and self-determination, and underscore the critical need to implement and sustain widespread changes in communities, society, and culture.