Anti-stigma Communication in the 21st Century: Theory, Research, and Applications

Stigmas are created, spread, amplified, or reduced through communication. Many people are affected by structural, public, or self-stigmatization because of their gender, race, age, disability, health status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, etc. Attempts to mitigate stigmatization through interpersonal, mediated, or mass communication remain challenging and yield inconsistent results. Moreover, findings regarding successful or unsuccessful communication approaches are difficult to compare among studies in the context of health communication as well as across other related fields of research. This is due to the fact that substantial differences exist in the literature regarding theoretical conceptualizations, operationalization and measurement approaches, as well as communication-based intervention strategies. Meanwhile, international organizations are claiming for urgent and quick solutions to hinder stigmatization, resulting in insufficient initiatives with limited impact and incongruent results.

This Research Topic aims to address these issues by encouraging innovative research from the field of health communication and related disciplines targeting various topics (e.g., people with mental illness or disability, social norms, moral values, victims of tragedy, structural discrimination) that enhance our understanding and the comparability of the theoretical foundations, mechanisms, measurement approaches, data analysis strategies, and implications related to anti-stigma communication, as well as the mediated construction, spreading, and negotiation of stigma.

We invite submissions that provide theory-based empirical evidence and insights on strategies for fostering pro-social attitudes and behaviors, as well as empowerment strategies for enhancing the health, well-being, inclusion, and social participation of stigmatized individuals or groups.

Specific topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• the theoretical foundations of anti-stigma communication
• media as source of stigma concerning its construction, spreading, and negotiation
• the role of individual, cultural, and social factors as moderators
• the role of message and channel characteristics for targeting different groups
• measurement approaches and data analysis strategies
• resistance, reactance, and further negative effects of anti-stigma communication
• implications of self-stigma on efficacy and resilience
• implications of stigma interventions
• policy and normative interventions with meaningful impact
• innovative methods to research anti-stigma communication
• guidelines and best-practice examples
• ethical considerations (e.g., accidental stigmatization).

We welcome original research and theory articles as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Preregistration of empirical studies and reviews is strongly encouraged, but is not required for submission.