I am a burden! The self‐stigmatising role of burden beliefs in the relation between negative experiences related to health problems and mental well‐being outcomes

Abstract

AbstractIt has been suggested that liberal values such as lack of autonomy and burden discourses shape the public's relation and stigma towards people with health problems. However, previous research on the role of such values for one's well‐being is scarce. We investigated whether the perception of being a burden mediates the impact of stigma and negative life experiences on life satisfaction and health satisfaction. Our sample, drawn from a subsample of the Swiss Household Panel survey, consisted of 156 individuals reporting a mental health problem (67.9% women, Mage = 49.9) and 283 individuals reporting a physical health problem (61.5% women, Mage = 53.6). We tested a model where perceived burden, measured with three items drawn from the Acceptance of Illness Scale, mediates the impact of perceived stigma and negative social experiences on life satisfaction and health satisfaction. Analysis of direct and indirect paths provide partial evidence for our hypothesis and the model showed a good fit to the data both for persons with a mental health problem and for persons with a physical health problem. However, given the correlational nature of our data and the acceptable fit of alternative mediational models, we propose that these rather inconclusive results invite for the development of further research regarding the role of burden beliefs on stigma and well‐being. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.