The Role Of Stigma, School Connectedness, And Depression In School-Based Mental Health

Stigma is a significant barrier to receiving mental health services. Public stigma may be especially salient for adolescents, for whom social relationships are of particular importance. Public stigma has been shown to predict self-stigma, which has associated with depression. In contrast, school connectedness has been shown to be a protective factor against depression. However, the relationship between school connectedness and stigma has not yet been established. Further, very little research exists to inform adolescent experiences of stigma, in part due to a lack of validated instruments to measure stigma among youth receiving mental health services. The present study examined the factor structure of two measures of stigma adapted for use in school mental health, as well as the factor structure of the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM). Additionally, the current study investigated the relationship between public stigma, self-stigma, school connectedness, and depression among adolescents receiving mental health services in a school setting. Results indicated serious problems in the measurement of public stigma and school connectedness. Additional findings are discussed.