Mental Illness Stigma Framework

There has been a proliferation of research on mental illness stigma; however, lack of consistency and clarity in the conceptualization and measurement of mental illness stigma has limited the accumulation of scientific knowledge about mental illness stigma and its consequences. The Mental Illness Stigma Framework (MISF) is a common framework and set of terminology for understanding mental illness stigma mechanisms among people targeted by and perpetrating mental illness stigma. In this article, we describe the MISF and apply it to a review of mental illness stigma measures published between 2004 and 2014. We also provide recommendations for future research, including efforts to measure mental illness stigma.