Event Title

Stigmatic Views for Mental Health Disorders in a College Population 2

Presenter Information

Patricia D. Hopkins, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Carissa A. Borchardt, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Melissa A. Lenz, Minnesota State University, MankatoFollow

Location

CSU 243/4/5

Start Date

5-4-2010 1:00 PM

End Date

5-4-2010 3:00 PM

Student's Major

Psychology

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Barry Ries

Mentor's Department

Psychology

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

Mental health stigma currently is a hindrance to individuals seeking treatment. Stigma can be defined as an individual trait that is viewed negatively by society. Mental health stigma is associated with psychological disorders and the negative stereotypes that go along with the disorders. There have been few studies on stigma related to psychological disorders beyond major depressive disorder. Numerous studies have compared depression and schizophrenia. These studies have found similar levels of self reported stigma associated with the two disorders. However, these studies neglected to determine if differentiation occurs between disorders. The purpose of this study is to further investigate stigma expressed by a college population related to mental health disorders. More specifically, it will compare stigmatic views for depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and mania. Researchers will attempt to determine if symptoms of these separate disorders are confused with other mental health conditions or do individuals appreciate their ideographic nature. The researchers will give each participant a vignette that describes a person with symptoms of the disorder. After participants read the narrative, they will complete a questionnaire indicating their attitudes towards the person in the vignette. In addition, a control group will read a vignette on obesity to determine if mental health stigma is different than other forms of stigma. It is hypothesized that participants will hold the same stigmatic views of an individual regardless of psychological disorder symptomatology. It is hoped that with continued research and study, therapists and patients may find ways to reduce or eliminate stigma associated with psychological disorders.