Internalization of help-seeking stigma and the moderating role of familism among Latine adults with chronic pain

Abstract

Latine¹ adults with chronic pain face heightened stigmatization of seeking professional psychological help. However, research is needed to test whether stigma is internalized and to identify protective factors. We focus on familism, a value commonly found in collectivist cultures that emphasizes family bonds. We cross-sectionally examined whether self-stigma mediates public stigma and attitudes toward help-seeking while accounting for previous help-seeking experience and whether familism acts as a protective factor. We recruited 259 Latine adults with chronic pain (mean age = 33.05, SD = 11.46) from Prolific. Results revealed that self-stigma mediated the relationship between public stigma and help-seeking attitudes. Additionally, familism moderated the relationship between public stigma and self-stigma. When familism was high, the association between public stigma and self-stigma was weaker, indicating a buffering effect. Findings highlight the need for values-based, culturally tailored interventions to improve help-seeking attitudes and reduce stigma.