Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Use Of Celebrity And Non-Celebrity Examples To Reduce Stigma In University Students, Tyrus Mccartney

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Although effective treatments have been developed for various mental illnesses, many individuals who need psychological help do not seek it because of stigma. Interventions have been developed to reduce stigma, with the hope of increasing access to mental healthcare. Vicarious contact with individuals who have mental illness can reduce both public and internal stigma. Furthermore, celebrity examples have been used to reduce stigma. The present study compared celebrity examples and non-celebrity examples across a stigma-reduction intervention, as well as a control group, to determine the most effective ways to present first-person narrative vignettes for reducing both public and internal stigma. …