Stigma Worsened by Mental Health “Literacy” Interventions

New research suggests that diagnostic criteria for mental illness may perpetuate, rather than challenge, stigmatizing beliefs about psychiatric disorders.

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A recent study published in Stigma and Health aimed to assess the impact of psychiatric symptom education on stigma toward mental illness. Contrary to expectations, the results of this experimental study by Sujeev Chohan and colleagues from the University of Calgary and the University of Saskatchewan suggest that exposure to diagnostic criteria can actually increase stigmatizing attitudes.

Participants in the study displayed more stigmatizing views after being exposed to mental health literacy materials that explained diagnostic symptoms—particularly for schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder (BPD)—than participants who were not shown diagnostic criteria.

The authors write:

“Intervention developers might consider alternative models of mental health and mental illness that present these topics as a holistic continuum rather than focusing on labeling illnesses and identifying specific symptoms.”

They continue:

“Keyes’ Mental Health Continuum identifies individuals as languishing or flourishing and conceptualizes mental health as positive emotional, psychological, and social well-being. A similarly named but different approach is the Mental Health Continuum Model self-assessment tool, which uses indicators across various domains of functioning (e.g., cognitive, emotional, physical) as opposed to diagnostic language. This tool has been used in effective mental health promotional and stigma-reduction programs in Canada.”

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José Giovanni Luiggi-Hernández, PhD
José is an instructor and qualitative researcher who received his doctorate from Duquesne University. He also has a background in public health, receiving his master’s from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences campus. His research and clinical interests involve understanding the lived experiences of colonized people using phenomenological, psychoanalytic, and decolonial frameworks. He has also studied LGBTQ issues, psychotherapy for physical health concerns (e.g., chronic pain and diabetes), among other projects.

4 COMMENTS

  1. At some point in your life you were told to substitute the term stigma for the prejudice people experience, i.e., to take the language of the stigmatizer. Do you recall the first time that choice was directed at you? The last time? Textbook? Lecture? Journal? Colleague?

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  2. Further proof that academia has degenerated into an egoistic form of cretinism. It’s incredible how over a mere 30 years truly intelligent people cannot be found in politics or academia. My eyes are learning to kill though, so I must thank God for that. Stair into my pattern. Become the pattern.

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