Stigma is defined as?

• A. A positive social attitude
• B. The negative social attitude attached to a characteristic of an individual; persons diagnosed with psychological disorders are often unfairly judged and face discrimination as a result of this
• C. A clinical diagnosis based on imaging
• D. A coping mechanism

Answer: (B)

Stigma is a negative social attitude attached to a characteristic, such as having a psychological disorder, which leads to unfair judgments and discrimination. This captures why people with mental illness are often treated unfairly or excluded in areas like housing or employment. It’s not a positive attitude, not a clinical diagnosis based on imaging, and not a coping mechanism, so those options don’t fit.