Which statement best describes stigma in relation to mental health and its impact on help-seeking?

• A. Stigma is a positive attitude toward mental health that encourages seeking help.
• B. Stigma occurs only in schools.
• C. Stigma is negative attitudes toward mental illness that can deter help-seeking due to fear of judgement.
• D. Stigma is a therapy modality.

Answer: (C)

Stigma rests on negative attitudes, beliefs, and judgments about people with mental illness, which can lead to discrimination and social withdrawal. Because those attitudes create fear of judgment and being treated differently, individuals may avoid or delay seeking help. So the statement describing stigma as negative attitudes toward mental illness that deter help-seeking due to fear of judgment best captures both what stigma is and how it directly influences behavior. The other descriptions miss the essence: stigma is not a positive attitude, it isn’t limited to schools, and it isn’t a therapy approach.