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Am I Stigmatized? An Experimental Examination Of High-Status Experiences Of Stigma., Christopher F. Silver

Doctoral Dissertations

Stigma is a highly researched aspect of social psychology primarily focusing on outgroup perceptions of stigma or the behaviors associated with high-status individuals toward low-status individuals. Two studies sought to explore high-status perceptions of perceived stigma, focusing on the common variables associated with stigma within low-status groups. This was to address a growing perception among high-status individuals that they experience stigma given their identity. As a focus, this study sampled White Males (Study One) and Christians (Study Two) from the United States. As part of experimental manipulation, we presented participants with three potential conditions. Condition one where participants read an …

The Impact Of Hiv-Related Stigma On The Racial/Ethnic Disparities Across The Hiv Care Continuum Among Adults Living With Hiv In Florida, Derrick James Forney

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Florida currently has one of the highest rates of new HIV infections in the U.S. As of 2019, Black and Hispanic HIV-positive individuals in Florida were significantly less likely to receive HIV care, remain in care, and achieve viral suppression than white HIV-positive individuals. Several studies have linked HIV-related stigma to poor outcomes among people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the impact of distinct HIV-related stigma subtypes on linkage to care, retention in care, and viral suppression among PLWH in Florida and if these associations differed across race/ethnicity.

Methods: Data from the 2015-2017 Florida Medical Monitoring Project …

A Room With A View: Experiences Of Moms Off Meth Using Heuristic Inquiry, Joey Leigh Gude

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Methamphetamine related consequences continue to darken many families and communities. Multiple service provider types are often overburdened in dealing with the reality of methamphetamine misuse (Brownstein et al., 2012). This research explored the impact of the methamphetamine epidemic with a specific focus on mothers with methamphetamine addiction. Mothers present with a myriad of challenges, and inadequate contextual information exists to address these challenges (Alexander et al., 2018; Bathish et al., 2017; Cunningham & Finlay, 2013). This qualitative heuristic inquiry sought to illuminate experiences of methamphetamine addiction in mothers. The qualitative research questions sought to give a voice to the lived …

Implication Of Stigmatization On Investors Financial Risk Tolerance: The Case Of Gay Men, Francisca M. Beer, Joseph D. Wellman

Faculty and Student Publications

This study evaluates whether the salience of discrimination and perceived stigmatization influence gay men's financial risk tolerance (FRT). This evaluation is conducted using the FRT measure of Grable and Lytton (1999), a “two-study ruse” approach and a hierarchical linear regression model. The findings show that individuals with anticipated stigmatization, after being exposed to information about bias against their community, exhibited greater FRT. These results support the hypothesis that risk-taking behavior by members of stigmatized populations increases when they experience discrimination.

Stigma And Social-Emotional Health In Youth With Learning Differences, Kelsey Maki

Doctoral Dissertations

Youth diagnosed with specific learning disorder (SLD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), defined collectively for the purposes of this study as youth with learning differences, experience poorer social-emotional health outcomes in comparison to their typically developing peers. These youth additionally experience stigma from their peers, teachers, and broader community, which may impact social-emotional health. As a secondary data analysis of a larger study, the present study investigated the role of stigma consciousness alongside demographic variables, self-esteem, and peer relationships in social-emotional health outcomes. Due to the possible differences between youth diagnosed with SLD, ADHD, and comorbid SLD/ADHD, group differences …

Mental Health Stigma And Its Impact On Experiences Of Decent Work For Veterans, Matthew James Kessler

Theses and Dissertations

Veterans comprise roughly 8.3% of the U.S. adult population and 6.4% of the civilian labor force. Veterans tend to experience rates of both unemployment and underemployment at rates similar to their civilian peers. The duration of enlistment for military members has increased over the last four decades. Although longer enlistments may indicate better retention efforts and the ability to sustain individual careers in the military, this also increases potential rates for combat exposure and psychological distress. Additionally, military members tend to assume strong military identities through their time in the service.

Veterans often struggle with reintegrating into civilian life after …

Compassion For Self-Identity: An Evaluation Of A Compassion-Based Intervention For Stigmatized Sexual Identities, Du T. Nguyen

Dissertations

Sexual minority persons often experience notable negative mental and physical health disparities when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. According to the minority stress framework, it is posited that these discrepancies are due to additional, group-specific stressors that they experience beyond stress felt by the general population. One such minority stress variable that has received considerable attention is sexual stigma. Not only has sexual stigmatization been found to be related to negative mental and physical health outcomes, it has also previously been found to hinder adaptive emotion regulation.

Due to the minority stress felt by sexual minority persons, there is a …

Theory Of Mind, Social Relationship Perception And Stigma Experiences In Individuals At Clinical High-Risk For Psychosis, Francesca Maria Crump

Theses and Dissertations

The clinical high-risk (CHR) state for psychosis has been established in order to prevent the transition to full psychosis; however, demonstrates a high false positive rate (Fusar-Poli et al., 2012). Consequently, many CHR individuals may face increased labeling and symptom-related stigmatization through accessing early intervention services (Yang et al., 2015). As a result, CHR individuals may employ negative coping responses (Link et al., 1989) and exhibit increased social preoccupation in order to help conceal their mental health status (Link et al., 2015), which may hinder social cognitive ability and have lasting impacts on social functioning. This study aimed to delineate …

Guilt By Obesity: A Closer Look At Obesity Stigmas, Loriana Goulding

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Obesity stigmas have led to an increased interest in the body-positivity movement in recent years. However, despite the decreasing discrimination and shaming of the obese, many people still consciously and unconsciously adhere to obesity stigmas and myths. These false beliefs are harmful not only to obese individuals but also to society, given that over 1/3 of the U.S. adult population is now obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). These stigmas can be especially harmful to obese individuals who are victims of wrongdoings and to obese individuals who are accused of a wrongdoing (Yamawaki, Riley, Rasmussen, & Cook, 2018). …

The Impact Of Mental Health Stigma On Hireability, Cassidy Mccusker

Honors College

Society tends to view those with mental illness as dangerous, impulsive, and unstable. These perceptions are often made quickly, with very little information available, and have lasting impacts (e.g., impacting job opportunities). The purpose of the current research is to examine stigma associated with various mental health disorders as compared to a physical health disorder or no disorder on perceptions of hireability of a candidate for a job. Undergraduate participants (N = 329) rated deidentified medical forms as part of a job application that varied in terms of diagnosis (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia), past hospitalization (yes vs. no), …

Isolating Abortion Stigma From Women Who Have Had Abortions: A Look At Undergraduate Students At A Christian University, Mikayla Granger

Senior Honors Theses

Abortion has been subject to stigma due to violating cultural ideals of womanhood, sexism, attribution of personhood to the fetus, legal restrictions, perception as a dirty procedure, the pro-life community, being underreported, and religious beliefs. In order to cope with stigma-induced distress, individuals often resort to secrecy. Stigmatized women concealing their abortion may suppress thoughts about the abortion, leading them to suffer from obsessive and intrusive thoughts that repeatedly reappear simply because they are unwanted. Because of this harmful cycle, it is imperative that individuals understand the distinction between stigma towards abortion and post-abortive women. The current study examines the …

Origins And Perpetuation Of Stigma Against Mental Illness, Audrey K. Barkeloo-Carter, Kirsten A. Gonzalez Ph.D.

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Reducing Mental Illness Stigma: What Types Of Images Are Most Effective?, Roma Subramanian, Jonathan Santo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Public stigma against mental illness is a barrier to treatment and recovery. Research into the design of anti-stigma messages has focused heavily on text; there is limited information on what types of images are most persuasive in eliciting anti-stigma outcomes. This is important to study because the type of image used to depict an illness can influence how the illness is perceived, which in turn can affect how people with the illness are treated. Through an online experiment with 162 American adults, this study investigated whether mental illness narratives about depression illustrated with photographs are more effective than those illustrated …

Perceived Stigma Among Family Members Of Persons Suffering From Mental Illness: A Narrative Exploration From West Bengal, India, Bidisha Banerjee, Shikha Dixit

The Qualitative Report

In this paper, we report the findings of a qualitative study that, aims to understand the family members’ subjective experiences with perceived stigma of mental illness. The theoretical standpoint and the research method for the study employed are social constructivist theory and narrative inquiry respectively. We conducted semi-structured and in-depth interviews with family members and others accompanying patients to an outpatient unit of a psychiatric clinic. The professionals and the administrative staff at the clinic gave additional interviews. The constant comparative method was employed for the analysis of the narratives. The findings suggest the existence of perceived and direct stigma …

The Impact Of Locus Of Control And Substance Abuse On Attitudes Towards Mental Illness, Emma Kapteyn

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

The current study investigated whether individuals with an internal locus of control would have more stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness compared to those with an external locus of control, with more pronounced negative attitudes towards mental illness and comorbid substance use compared to mental illness only. Sixty undergraduate students completed Rotter’s Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (Rotter, 1966a) and The Big Five Inventory (John & Srivastava, 1999) to assess aspects of personality. Participants’ attitudes were assessed by randomly assigning them to one of two vignettes: a man with mental illness only and a man with mental illness and comorbid substance …

Ptsd Perceptions In U.S. Military Members And Their Families: A Qualitative Study, Jennifer L. Thomson

Psychology Educator Scholarship

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and debilitating disorder characterized by hypervigilance and recurrent, intrusive memories of the traumatic event. Estimates for lifetime prevalence of PTSD diagnoses for United States military personnel vary widely from 10% to more than 30%. The current study aimed to investigate the attitudes and beliefs regarding PTSD and its diagnosis and treatment within U.S. military service members and their families. An online survey was administered to current and former members of the U.S. military and members of their immediate families. The results revealed low levels of mental health stigma and positive attitudes toward treatment …

The Effect Of Gender Roles And Priming On Mental Health Self-Stigma And Attitudes, Sarah Competiello

Honors Theses

Prior research suggests that gender roles and gender are both related to mental health self-stigma and attitudes toward help seeking. In the present study, I explored whether espousal of gender roles and priming people with mental health stigma would interact to predict levels of mental health self-stigma and attitudes toward help-seeking. I also tested whether gender moderated this relationship. Some participants were primed with fake Twitter posts that promoted mental health stigma, while others were exposed to neutral Tweets. All participants then responded to questionnaires assessing espousal of gender roles, levels of mental health self-stigma, attitudes toward help-seeking, and gender …

Institutional Labels: A Language-Based Approach To Decreasing Stigma Associated With Schizophrenia And Psychiatric Hospitalization, Jaime Taylor Grabow

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with schizophrenia that have experienced psychiatric hospitalization are one of the most stigmatized populations of the mental health field. The language that is utilized to describe this population is linked with the perpetuation of stigmatizing attitudes associated with schizophrenia and psychiatric hospitalization. Altering the type of language that is used to describe these individuals can decrease stigma. Participants (N=79) were asked to read a description of a character where the language used reflected either a strength-based approach or a deficit-based approach to schizophrenia and psychiatric hospitalization. The characters are individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia that have recently been discharged from …

The Effect Of The Pura Vida Lifestyle On Mental Health In Costa Rica, Gabrielle Sledge

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Costa Rica’s unofficial slogan “Pura Vida” (“Pure Life”) encapsulates how its people, Ticos, live. Ticos are known as a peaceful, homogenous people but a lack of mental health research limits assessment of Tico mental health status. The purpose of this study is to evaluate Ticos’ personal experiences and opinions to understand better how Costa Rica’s “Pura Vida” culture affects Ticos’ mental health and wellness compared to the United States. A 33-question survey addressing mental health experiences and perceptions was administered to a Costa Rican sample (n = 56) and a United States sample (n = 331). Additionally, 6 interviews were …

Timing Of Sexual Minority Identity Developmental Milestones And Well-Being Among Three Generations Of Gay Men, Joseph R. Hillesheim

Dissertations and Theses

Social and political changes during recent decades have contributed to a more accepting environment for sexual minorities (non-heterosexual individuals) in the U.S., but recent evidence suggests that these shifts may create a “developmental collision” for younger generations (Meyer et al., 2021; Russell & Fish, 2019). Younger generations of sexual minorities “come out” and reach other sexual identity milestones earlier than older generations, and earlier timing of sexual identity development may contribute to increased vulnerability to stigma. The present study aimed to contribute to limited research on the relationship between the timing of sexual identity development milestones and well-being among three …

An Examination Of Racial And Ethnic Differences In Internalized Mental Health Stigma And Perceived Mental Health Barriers Due To Stigma Among Women Veterans, Christe’An D. Iglesias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stigma associated with mental illness can serve as a barrier for receiving treatment. Veterans may avoid seeking care due to stigma-related negative beliefs about one’s self or others. Research suggests that the stigma of mental illness can adversely impact service utilization. Although studies have shown that racial and ethnic minoritized individuals are more likely to experience poor mental health outcomes, no studies have examined how mental illness stigma differs across racial groups among women veterans. The objective of this secondary analysis is to examine how internalized mental health stigma and perceived barriers to access to care related to mental …

Examining The Impact Of Mental Health Education On Bias And Stigma In Cit Trained Officers, Jennifer L. Krause

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational nonexperimental research was to examine the relationship between the mental health education received through Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and the perceptions of public mental health stigma, self-stigma, and attitudes toward seeking mental health services among law enforcement officers. The study’s theoretical framework integrated gender-role conflict theory and Goffman’s stigma theory in explaining the influence of the police culture on officers’ adoption of more traditional masculine roles. This research used three instruments: the Attitudes to Mental Illness questionnaire to measure perceptions of public stigma, the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale to measure self-stigma, and …

The Psychosocial Impact Of Rare Diseases Among Children And Adolescents Attending Mainstream Schools In Western Australia, Esther A. Adama, Diana Arabiat, Mandie Foster, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, K. Runions, R. Vithiatharan, A. Lin

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Living with a long-term medical condition is associated with heightened risk for mental health and psychosocial difficulties, but further research is required on this risk for children and adolescents with a rare disease in the educational setting. The aim of this study is to describe parents’ perceptions of the psychosocial impact of rare diseases on their school-aged children in Western Australia. A cross-sectional survey of 41 parents of school-aged children and adolescents diagnosed with a rare disease completed an online questionnaire. Questions related to their perceptions of health-related stigma, bullying, social competencies and mental health difficulties faced by their child. …

Mental Health Service Utilization, Knowledge, Stigma, And Protective Factors In A College Student Sample: The Influence Of Racial Categories And Student-Athlete Status, Jasmine M. Morigney

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Students of color and student-athletes undergo unique stressors in college, such as discrimination and time constraints, that impact their mental health needs. They have shown more mental health stigma and less service utilization. This study explored these variables and groups using secondary data analyses from the 2019-2020 Healthy Minds Study (HMS). The current study hypothesized that utilization would be associated with stigma, knowledge, and resilience. Additionally, student-athletes and students of color would report less utilization and more stigma and resilience. Results indicated that students of color reported no difference in utilization and less stigma and resilience than White students. Student-athletes …

Differences Between Asians And Pacific Islanders In Mental Health Stigma And Help-Seeking Behavior, Kycel Butters

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mental health stigma is prevalent among U.S. minority groups. Minorities are found to have higher stigma towards mental illnesses and exhibit lower help-seeking behaviors compared to the majority (Narendorf, et. al, 2018). Among these minority groups, Asians and Pacific Islanders are two populations often grouped together despite their cultural differences. Due to this generalization, many of the data for Pacific Islanders are overlooked by their Asian counterparts. To address the differences between the two groups, the current study compares Asians and Pacific Islanders against each other on their attributions and attitudes towards mental health stigma and help-seeking behaviors. Participants ( …

Developing The Label Avoidance Measure Of Stigma: A Preliminary Psychometric Review, Julia J. Cameron

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Stigma acts as a barrier to treatment for mental health concerns. Label avoidance, one of several different aspects that compose the overarching concept of stigma, captures the stigma involved when individuals avoid social institutions that might confer a psychiatric diagnostic label and would mark them as an individual with a mental health problem. Label avoidance has been described as a key stigma construct in the literature but has been sparsely studied. Answering a call in the field for new, psychometrically sound stigma measures, we created a new measure of label avoidance and acquired initial validity and reliability evidence supporting its …

Minority Stress And Alcohol Use In Sexual Minority Women's Daily Lives, Robin J. Lewis, Kelly A. Romano, Sarah J. Ehlke, Cathy Lau-Barraco, Cassidy M. Sandoval, Douglas J. Glenn, Kristin E. Heron

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.