Chicago Consortium for Stigma Research

The life opportunities of many people are frequently undermined by stigmatizing attitudes and discriminatory behavior. The Chicago Consortium for Stigma Research (CCSR) is dedicated towards understanding the phenomenon of stigma, developing and testing models that explain why it occurs, and evaluating strategies that help to diminish its effects. Special focus is on understanding the stigma of mental illness through application of models developed through basic behavioral research. CCSR is a multidisciplinary group of scientists from Chicago area academic institutions. The consortium is a group in development and, as such, seeks partners at all levels to advance stigma research.

CCSR News

Measures Available for Download

Selected measures used by CCSR members in their research on mental illness stigma are now being made available for download. Researchers and advocates are welcome to use these measures....more...

State-by-State Snapshot of Mental Health Legislation

Patrick Corrigan and his colleagues have systematically analyzed stigma and discrimination in state legislation introduced during the 2002 legislative session (January 1,2002 -December 31, 2002).Click...more...

Fifth Edition of CCSR Bulletin Released

The fifth edition of the CCSR Bulletin is now available for download in Adobe® PDF format.

This issue's feature article:

Language and the Meaning of Stigma: Harold Maio Speaks to Gathering

Mental health advocate Harold Maio believes in the power of words. "I look at language very, very hard," said Maio to a gathering of the CCSR last November 21. Embedded within language are the rudiments of discrimination and stigma. According to Maio, it is necessary to flush out these words from accepted speech patterns and change them, or exclude them, for the purpose of reflecting the true nature of mental illnesses.
read more...

NEW BOOK AVAILABLE

Don't Call Me Nuts! addresses one of the pressing issues in psychiatry today, indeed in the larger scope of civil rights in society - the stigma of mental illness. In its 456 pages, Corrigan and Lundin explore all facets of the stigma which persons with mental illnesses face. Don't Call Me Nuts! is both a valuable resource, a history lesson, and a gaze into the future of a stigma-less community.
More info...