Digital Commons Network^™

The Criminalization Of Hiv And Hiv Stigma, Deanna Cann

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to contain the HIV epidemic, lawmakers implemented various pieces of legislation across the United States, including laws that prohibit people living with HIV (PLHIV) from engaging in various behaviors without first disclosing their HIV-status. Public health scholars claim that this criminalization of HIV serves to increase stigma toward PLHIV, rather than prevent its transmission. Limited research has supported a connection between HIV exposure laws and increased stigma toward PLHIV. Still, researchers have yet to establish a causal relationship, and we know little regarding the mechanisms through which these laws serve to reproduce stigma. This study aims to …

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 …

Inoculating The Public Against Misinformation: Testing The Effectiveness Of “Pre-Bunking” Techniques In The Context Of Mental Illness And Violence, Nanlan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

The publics might be misinformed about mental illness due to frequently mentioned violence and inaccurate notions in news coverage that underlie people who have a history of mental illness are prone to be dangerous or violent. Drawing from the theories of inoculation and the psychological reactance, the author seeks to investigate the effects of using preemptive corrective message techniques (labeling, appeal to consensus, and provision of an alternative explanation) as on the method of promoting resistance to misinformation linking mental illness and violence, which is a harmful and unsubstantiated stereotype. To accomplish this research aim, the author conducted two experiments …

Applying Health Stigma Framework To Examine The Mechanisms Of Hiv-Related Stigma On Clinical Outcomes, Chengbo Zeng

Theses and Dissertations

Background: HIV clinical outcomes including CD4 count, viral suppression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), are important indicators reflecting immunologic functioning, treatment efficacy, and overall health quality. However, due, in part, to HIV-related stigma, many people living with HIV (PLWH) experience suboptimal clinical outcomes. The Health Stigma Framework introduced the potentially distinct mechanisms underlying internalized, anticipated, enacted stigma and health outcomes through psycho-behavioral pathways. Based on this framework, this dissertation investigated the impacts and mechanisms of HIV-related stigma on clinical outcomes among PLWH in Guangxi, China from a longitudinal perspective. Methods: Data at baseline, 6-, 12-, 18- month follow-ups …

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 …

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 …

Kaleidoscope Wellness | Destigmatizing Mental Health For Teens By Design, Rhode L. Baptiste

Theses and Dissertations

Motivation

Mental health is a global public health crisis. (Marcus et. al, 2012; WHO, 2020). Although there is a growing acceptance of the complexities surrounding mental illness, care delivery for adolescents with mental health concerns remains highly stigmatized, which contributes to delays in care (Hoisington et. al, 2019; Burns & Birrell, 2014). Half of all mental illnesses can be detected prior to the age of 14 (National Alliance for Mental Health, 2020). While research exploring how the physical health care environment impacts health and well-being for patients has evolved immensely over the past two decades, research on how facility design …