“You got it on you”: How the Experience of Community is Influenced by Stigma

This study explores how stigma influences community experiences among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), using the structural-function-experiential (SFE) model as a guiding framework. Qualitative semi-structured and social network interviews were conducted with 30 participants receiving assertive community treatment (ACT) services in New York state. Modified grounded theory approach guided the analysis. Four themes emerged: (1) "Maybe I'm as crazy as they say I am," (2) avoiding disclosure and relationships, (3) providers or no one, and (4) longing for connection. These themes illustrate how stigma operates in an ecological framework such as the SFE model consisting of structural, functional, and experiential dimensions of community. Stigma disrupts social relationships, inhibits disclosure, and reinforces social isolation. Applying the SFE model highlights community-level mechanisms through which stigma can be mitigated. Findings inform transformative change efforts to enhance social inclusion and recovery for people with SMI.