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Stigma: GCSE Psychology Definition

Claire Neeson

Written by: Claire Neeson

Reviewed by: Raj Bonsor

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Contents

  1. 1. What is a stigma?
  2. 2. GCSE Psychology Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

What is a stigma?

In GCSE Psychology, a stigma is defined as a negative stereotype or expectation that others hold about people who have a mental illness, e.g., depression or schizophrenia.

A stigma is rather like a sign or a label that marks someone out as being 'different' in socially undesirable ways, e.g., they are likely to be unpredictable with alarming, possibly dangerous behaviour. It is very difficult for someone who has been stigmatised to lead a normal life, as their label of 'mental illness' may impede their job prospects and relationships.

GCSE Psychology Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

Explore research on the effects of mental health in more detail and master other key terms and concepts using our detailed GCSE revision notes. 

Explore GCSE Psychology Revision Resources

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Author
Reviewer
Claire Neeson

Author: Claire Neeson

Expertise: Psychology Content Creator

Claire has been teaching for 34 years, in the UK and overseas. She has taught GCSE, A-level and IB Psychology which has been a lot of fun and extremely exhausting! Claire is now a freelance Psychology teacher and content creator, producing textbooks, revision notes and (hopefully) exciting and interactive teaching materials for use in the classroom and for exam prep. Her passion (apart from Psychology of course) is roller skating and when she is not working (or watching 'Coronation Street') she can be found busting some impressive moves on her local roller rink.

Raj Bonsor

Author: Raj Bonsor

Expertise: Psychology & Sociology Content Creator

Raj joined Save My Exams in 2024 as a Senior Content Creator for Psychology & Sociology. Prior to this, she spent fifteen years in the classroom, teaching hundreds of GCSE and A Level students. She has experience as Subject Leader for Psychology and Sociology, and her favourite topics to teach are research methods (especially inferential statistics!) and attachment. She has also successfully taught a number of Level 3 subjects, including criminology, health & social care, and citizenship.

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