Innovative Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Programs Across the World

Offering practical stigma and discrimination reduction programs in a range of domains including mental health, disability, ethnicity, and sexuality, this book is the answer to "What can we do?" to improve interpersonal relationships by reducing societal stigma towards social groups that are prime targets of prejudice.In this volume, researchers from four continents share empirically-supported stigma reduction programs that capitalize on creativity and psychological science. The programs capture a range of populations including high school and college students, healthcare providers, war survivors, sexual assault survivors, business professionals, and community members. With a focus on controversial topics in society today including racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, and classism as well as stigma of mental health and body image, innovative and unexpected methods of interventions are brought to life in the collected chapters from world-leading experts. The applications of theater, game playing, text messaging, and social media, as well as new formulations of educational workshops and communication strategies, shed new perspectives on how all of us can use accessible tools to make positive and productive changes on societal attitudes. This is an essential reading for professionals, academics, and students of psychology, business, HR, mental health, counseling, and social work, especially those interested in stigma reduction.

"This skillfully edited volume is unique in its scope and in its ambition to not simply to understand stigma but also to show how it can be addressed in practical and effective ways. Leading international scholars artfully bridge research and practice by identifying proven interventions and illuminating how they work to reduce the stigmatization of a wide variety of groups in globally diverse contexts. This book is exceptionally timely, both for application and theory, and is a "must-read" for practitioners and scholars dedicated to addressing the severe social consequences of stigma." Dr. John Dovidio, Yale University, USA"This book is a tour de force compilation of theoretically grounded, empirically validated, and innovative approaches to reducing many forms of stigma across the globe. It is a "must read" for organizations and individuals looking for successful strategies for reducing stigma and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion."Dr. Margo Monteith, Purdue University, USA

Dr. Alicia Nordstrom is a professor of Psychology at Misericordia University in Pennsylvania, USA. Her research interests include interventions to reduce stigma, stereotypes, and stress and to promote mental health in college students. Her research has appeared on NPR, TEDxLancaster, and the NYC Broadway Bound Theatre Festival. She is also an actor, director, writer, and producer of theater, sketch, improv, and film. Dr. Wind Goodfriend is a professor of Psychology at Buena Vista University in Iowa, USA. She has written or edited over 10 books in Social Psychology, including her textbook which won the 2019 Most Promising New Textbook of the Year award from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association. She is an award-winning author, teacher, and researcher.