Part of my role and responsibility as a psychologist is to help dispel stigma. I was therefore delighted to be invited to moderate a panel about stigma at the 2019 Connecticut Legal Conference, representing the Connecticut Bar Association task force on lawyer well-being. The panel was sponsored by members of the Quell Foundation, a nonprofit group that seeks to decrease stigma by encouraging people to share their personal struggles with mental health issues. This experience led me to think more deeply about forces which have served to promote and maintain stigma surrounding mental health and well-being in the legal profession.

The Origin and Functions of Stigma