We're excited to share that Conceptualizing Stigma in the Injured Worker Literature: A Scoping Review was recently published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation!

This project was supported by an EPID@Work seed grant awarded to Dr. Amanda Maranzan, and explores how stigma is experienced, described, and understood in literature surrounding work-related injury. The research team reviewed 100 studies to understand how stigma is represented and found that although it’s a common experience for injured workers, it’s rarely named directly - and when it is, usage of the term "stigma" is inconsistent. They identified over 270 different terms used to describe stigmatizing experiences, highlighting a major gap in clarity and consistency. 

This scoping review highlights the need for clear language, strong theoretical grounding, and more focus on self-stigma in future research. If you’re working in occupational health, return-to-work, or social psychology research, we hope this paper offers a useful foundation for more consistent and meaningful conversations around stigma. 

Congratulations to authors Mila Popovic, Lauren Reynolds, Chelsea Noel, Lynn Cooper, and Amanda Maranzan on this important contribution!