Correlates of Rejection Sensitivity: Examining Influences of Anticipated Discrimination, Internalized Stigma, and Injustice Experiences Among Persons With Mental Illness

Perceived rejection is moderated by a person’s coping orientations and sensitivity to discriminatory behaviors embedded in stigma and unfair treatment within the social space. The current study, therefore, examined the extent to which internalized stigma, anticipated discrimination, and structural violence influence the rejection sensitivity of persons with mental illness. A non-experimental cross-sectional study examined how anticipated discrimination, internalized stigma, and injustice experiences influence rejection sensitivity among 330 outpatients in Sub-Sahara Africa. Hierarchical multiple linear regression results demonstrate the non-significant relationship between anticipated discrimination and rejection sensitivity (β = .015, p = .775, 95% CI −0.789, 1.057). However, the relationship between internalized stigma and rejection sensitivity (β = .148, p = .029 0.119, 2.146) and structural violence (β = .165, p = .015 0.014, 0.134) were significant. While social interactions may threaten the existence of highly rejection-sensitive persons, supportive social interactions act as agents of inclusion and social empowerment for persons with a mental illness. Our study findings have further implications for health care and social welfare policy.