STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION IN SURGICAL SETTINGS: Review of their impact on Patients with Mental Health and Substance abuse issues

Abstract

This thesis examines how stigma and discrimination affect patients with mental health and substance abuse issues in surgical settings. Stigma, often seen in labelling, stereotyping, and unfair treatment, impacts the quality of care these patients receive and worsens their health outcomes. Mental health and substance abuse patients frequently face biased attitudes from healthcare workers, leading to delayed treatment, poor care, and additional stress. The study used a review of existing research and thematic analysis to identify key issues such as patient experiences of stigma, biases among healthcare workers, and systemic challenges in hospitals. The findings show that stigma and discrimination are common in surgical settings. Patients often feel blamed for their health conditions, while healthcare workers sometimes rely on quick judgments and assumptions when treating these groups. This leads to unequal care, exclusion from certain procedures, and poor pain management during and after surgery. Eliminating stigma and discrimination in healthcare requires changes in attitudes, systems, and policies. By making these improvements, hospitals can provide better care and support for mental health and substance abuse patients, ensuring fair treatment and better outcomes. Recommendations for addressing these issues include mandatory training for healthcare workers to reduce stigma and improve their understanding of these patients. It also suggests updating hospital policies, improving communication with patients, and building teams that include mental health and addiction experts. Better follow-up care and personalized rehabilitation programs are also essential to help patients recover and avoid relapsing. Keywords: discrimination, mental health, stigmatization, substance abuse, surgical settings