Academic paper: Peer Education as a Strategy for Reducing Internalized Stigma AmongDepressed Older Adults

This article examines the mechanisms through which peer educator (PE) intervention targets and reduces internalized stigma. There is substantial evidence that internalized stigma negatively impacts the lives of those suffering with mental health concerns, and has been identified as 1 of the most significant barriers to seeking professional mental health services. There has been a push toward identifying interventions and programs that effectively reduce and mitigate the impact of internalized stigma. Research suggests that contact with other individuals who share a stigmatized condition may be a promising approach to targeting and reducing internalized stigma. However, there is a dearth of research that has identified the mechanism through which this contact impacts internalized stigma.

This paper was written by Conner, K. O., McKinnon, S. A., Ward, C. J., Reynolds, C. F. III, & Brown, C.T.