Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Mental Illness Characteristics On Stigmatizing Attitudes, Mariclare Kanaley, Jena J. Gomez, Erica N. Johnson, Andrew W. Newsom

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

Background: In this study, we build on previous work by evaluating whether stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness are affected by illness characteristics. Based on modifications to a survey that was developed by Corrigan (2003), we examined undergraduate participants’ responses to a character, described in a brief vignette. Method: “Joe” was described as having problems associated with either schizophrenia or depression. We examined whether indications of dangerousness towards self or others (dangerous versus not) and controllability via medications (controllable versus not) influenced perceptions in a 2 x 2 x 2 (illness type vs. dangerousness vs. controllability) ANOVA design. After reading one …