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Continuum beliefs in the stigma process regarding persons with schizophrenia and depression: results of path analyses

BACKGROUND: Individuals with mental illness often experience stigmatization and encounter stereotypes such as being dangerous or unpredictable. To further improve measures against psychiatric stigma, it is of importance to understand its components. In this study, we attend to the step of separation...

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Autores principales: Makowski, Anna C., Mnich, Eva E., Angermeyer, Matthias C., von dem Knesebeck, Olaf
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: PeerJ Inc. 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5045891/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27703840
http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2360
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author Makowski, Anna C.
Mnich, Eva E.
Angermeyer, Matthias C.
von dem Knesebeck, Olaf
author_facet Makowski, Anna C.
Mnich, Eva E.
Angermeyer, Matthias C.
von dem Knesebeck, Olaf
author_sort Makowski, Anna C.
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: Individuals with mental illness often experience stigmatization and encounter stereotypes such as being dangerous or unpredictable. To further improve measures against psychiatric stigma, it is of importance to understand its components. In this study, we attend to the step of separation between “us” and “them” in the stigma process as conceptualized by Link and Phelan. In using the belief in continuity of mental illness symptoms as a proxy for separation, we explore its associations with stereotypes, emotional responses and desire for social distance in the stigma process. METHODS: Analyses are based on a representative survey in Germany. Vignettes with symptoms suggestive of schizophrenia (n = 1,338) or depression (n = 1,316) were presented to the respondents, followed by questions on continuum belief, stereotypes, emotional reactions and desire for social distance. To examine the relationship between these items, path models were computed. RESULTS: Respondents who endorsed the continuum belief tended to show greater prosocial reactions (schizophrenia: 0.07; p < 0.001, depression: 0.09; p < 0.001) and less desire for social distance (schizophrenia: −0.13; p < 0.001, depression: −0.14; p < 0.001) toward a person with mental illness. In both cases, agreement with the stereotypes of unpredictability and dangerousness was positively associated with feelings of anger and fear as well as desire for social distance. There were no statistically significant relations between stereotypes and continuum beliefs. DISCUSSION: Assumptions regarding continuum beliefs in the stigma process were only partially confirmed. However, there were associations of continuum beliefs with less stigmatizing attitudes toward persons affected by either schizophrenia or depression. Including information on continuity of symptoms, and thus oppose perceived separation, could prove helpful in future anti-stigma campaigns.
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spelling pubmed-50458912016-10-04 Continuum beliefs in the stigma process regarding persons with schizophrenia and depression: results of path analyses Makowski, Anna C. Mnich, Eva E. Angermeyer, Matthias C. von dem Knesebeck, Olaf PeerJ Neurology BACKGROUND: Individuals with mental illness often experience stigmatization and encounter stereotypes such as being dangerous or unpredictable. To further improve measures against psychiatric stigma, it is of importance to understand its components. In this study, we attend to the step of separation between “us” and “them” in the stigma process as conceptualized by Link and Phelan. In using the belief in continuity of mental illness symptoms as a proxy for separation, we explore its associations with stereotypes, emotional responses and desire for social distance in the stigma process. METHODS: Analyses are based on a representative survey in Germany. Vignettes with symptoms suggestive of schizophrenia (n = 1,338) or depression (n = 1,316) were presented to the respondents, followed by questions on continuum belief, stereotypes, emotional reactions and desire for social distance. To examine the relationship between these items, path models were computed. RESULTS: Respondents who endorsed the continuum belief tended to show greater prosocial reactions (schizophrenia: 0.07; p < 0.001, depression: 0.09; p < 0.001) and less desire for social distance (schizophrenia: −0.13; p < 0.001, depression: −0.14; p < 0.001) toward a person with mental illness. In both cases, agreement with the stereotypes of unpredictability and dangerousness was positively associated with feelings of anger and fear as well as desire for social distance. There were no statistically significant relations between stereotypes and continuum beliefs. DISCUSSION: Assumptions regarding continuum beliefs in the stigma process were only partially confirmed. However, there were associations of continuum beliefs with less stigmatizing attitudes toward persons affected by either schizophrenia or depression. Including information on continuity of symptoms, and thus oppose perceived separation, could prove helpful in future anti-stigma campaigns. PeerJ Inc. 2016-09-27 /pmc/articles/PMC5045891/ /pubmed/27703840 http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2360 Text en © 2016 Makowski et al. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.
spellingShingle Neurology
Makowski, Anna C.
Mnich, Eva E.
Angermeyer, Matthias C.
von dem Knesebeck, Olaf
Continuum beliefs in the stigma process regarding persons with schizophrenia and depression: results of path analyses
title Continuum beliefs in the stigma process regarding persons with schizophrenia and depression: results of path analyses
title_full Continuum beliefs in the stigma process regarding persons with schizophrenia and depression: results of path analyses
title_fullStr Continuum beliefs in the stigma process regarding persons with schizophrenia and depression: results of path analyses
title_full_unstemmed Continuum beliefs in the stigma process regarding persons with schizophrenia and depression: results of path analyses
title_short Continuum beliefs in the stigma process regarding persons with schizophrenia and depression: results of path analyses
title_sort continuum beliefs in the stigma process regarding persons with schizophrenia and depression: results of path analyses
topic Neurology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5045891/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27703840
http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2360
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