What is it about?
We explored how people who have attempted suicide experience social stigma and self-stigma. Through interviews with 14 people, we examined how experiences of others’ reactions may be connected to shame, self-blame, and how people view themselves. We found a reciprocal pattern between social stigma and self-stigma, with stigmatizing experiences accumulating “layer upon layer” over time. Participants also described concealing their feelings and experiences and, at times, withdrawing from social networks. The study provides insight into how stigma may be experienced after a suicide attempt and how social relationships can be an important part of this experience.
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Why is it important?
What is particularly important about this study is that it highlights how social stigma and self-stigma may be interconnected following a suicide attempt. Rather than viewing self-stigma as something that exists solely within the individual, participants’ accounts show how it can be closely intertwined with social experiences and relationships. The concept of experiences accumulating “layer upon layer” captures how different stigmatizing experiences may build up over time and shape how people view themselves and their social environment. By combining interviews with social network mapping, the study offers a broader perspective on how stigma may be experienced after a suicide attempt. The findings may be relevant to clinicians and others working with people after a suicide attempt by drawing attention not only to the individual’s wellbeing, but also to the social context in which they live.
Perspectives
What has stayed with me most strongly while working on this study is how clearly the participants’ stories show that stigma is not only about what other people think or say. It can also influence how a person begins to see themselves. Listening to these experiences made me reflect on the importance of seeing the person behind the suicide attempt and not allowing the event itself to define who that person is. This work has also strengthened my view that stigma needs to be understood within its social context. A suicide attempt is an individual experience, but what happens afterwards is also shaped through interactions with other people. I hope this study will encourage greater attention to this part of recovery and contribute to people with lived experience of suicide attempts being met with less judgement and greater understanding.
Mahmoud Azzam
Lunds Universitet
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The cycle of self-stigma: Experiences of social stigma and self-stigma among individuals who have attempted suicide—A qualitative study., Stigma and Health, August 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/sah0000718.
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