As mentioned, stigma is a negative idea on a person that is generated by a fear of what that person represents. That fear simply starts by one person and can become 'snowballed' and be passed onto the situation they are unfamiliarized with and continue to have this negative idea. Which then has this negative idea passed onto other's and creates people to keep this negative idea around instead of getting educated about the situation. A lot of times, people will see other people and compare to this person to what is considered to be the 'norm' to society and when they find that this person is 'abnormal', they will become fearful of this person and stigmatize this person. There are three ways to create stigma. There is social identity which is where people use societies expectations to compare others (this is the most popular way to create stigma). There is self-stigma which is where a person uses societies expectations to compare themselves and will judge self if they appear to go against these expectations. Lastly, there is structured stigma, which is seen more as a process done within a specific culture or society. This is where a person would first look at someone with mental illness, compare to how this person is different from society and judge this person for being different. 

 

Canadian Mental Health Association (2013); Mental Health Commission of Canada (2013); Overton and Medina (2008).