Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences (PJSS) Vol. 31, No. 1 (June 2011), pp. 29-36 Stigmatization: Addressing Self-Esteem and Personal Growth in Patients with Psychological and Physiological Illness Sarwat Sultan Assistant Professor Department of Applied Psychology Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan Abstract This paper reviews comparison of the impact of perceived stigma on self-esteem and personal growth of patients who are diagnosed with psychological and physiological illness. The sample consisted of 188 out-door patients; 100 psychiatric patients of depression and 88 physical patients of diabetes taken from Khawaja Fareed Hospital and Ashraf Naseer Hospital in Multan respectively. Perceived Devaluation–Discrimination Scale, Index of Self-Esteem, and Personal Growth Initiative Scale were used to collect information. Results indicated the significant differences in measured variables. The findings showed that psychiatric patients perceive higher stigma and report lower degree of self-esteem and personal growth than diabetic patients. Results further indicated that perceived stigma is negatively associated with self-esteem and personal growth, and this relationship is higher for psychiatric patients than diabetic patients. Keywords: Stigma; Mental Illness; Physical Illness; Self-Esteem; Personal Growth I. Introduction For individuals, the diagnosis of psychological or physiological impairment, lessen overall value and significance of life. Loss of well being and personal growth are not caused entirely by the etiologies, disabilities, and stress induced by their physical or psychiatric disorder. Quality of life in terms of self-esteem and personal growth is also hampered by another factor of stigma that individuals associate with mental and/or physical illness. However people embrace comparatively high stigmas in psychiatric problems than physical illness (Nadler, & Fisher, 1986). People diagnosed with psychological and physiological problems react differently towards their illness. Ailment either psychological or physiological creates distress. However, mental ailment creates more stress because of a negative label. Researches conducted in past indicate that society reacts negatively towards the people suffering from psychiatric disorders (Link, Cullen, Frank, & Wozniak, 1987). Stigmatization generally affects the subjective well being and personal growth of people. As a result of stigmatization individuals face problems at their employment place (Link, 1982) and they also report difficulties in social contacts or interactions (Piner & Kahle, 1984). The current research aims to understand the impact of perceived stigma on psychologically ill patients suffering from depression, and physiologically ill patients suffering from diabetes and also to evaluate how this stigma is going to affect their self-esteem and personal growth.