Bain, Jessica Dromey; (2024) Does Benefit Stigma Contribute to Mental Health Outcomes for Claimants? Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The prevalence of benefit stigma in the benefit-claiming population (Baumberg, 2015), alongside the elevated levels of mental health difficulties among claimants (Bebbington & McManus, 2014; Ford et al., 2010; Rodriguez, Frongillo & Chandra, 2001) warrants further investigation into the impact of benefit stigma on mental health. This is particularly pertinent now, considering the increasingly stigmatising discourse around claiming in the UK (Baumberg, Bell & Gaffney, 2012). Given the complexity of stigma and its relationship to health, this conceptual introduction aims to introduce key concepts and provide an overview of the theory and research to date. The numerous definitions and ways of measuring stigma are summarised. Benefit stigma is defined and the various ways in which it is constructed are explored. The evidence for stigma being a social determinant of health is examined, with attention to the mechanisms through which stigma impacts health. Finally, the research into benefit stigma and its impact on mental health is summarised, with a review of its strengths and limitations. Identifying the gaps in the literature, the rationale for the empirical paper is provided. Key decisions regarding the design and analysis are summarised, along with the important implications of the study.

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