The Subtle Side of Stigma: Understanding and Reducing Mental Illness Stigma from a Contemporary Prejudice Perspective

Ableism, as it relates to mental illness, is a serious social issue that exists across nations and cultures. Implicit stigma caused by ableism can be especially problematic given that it is typically expressed subtly and automatically causing it to remain unnoticed and thus unchanged. This research...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of social issues 2019-09, Vol.75 (3), p.943-971
Main Authors: Young, Rebecca E., Goldberg, Joel O., Struthers, C. Ward, McCann, Doug, Phills, Curtis E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitudes
Consciousness
Disability discrimination
Illnesses
Intervention
Mental disorders
Prejudice
Stigma
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Ableism, as it relates to mental illness, is a serious social issue that exists across nations and cultures. Implicit stigma caused by ableism can be especially problematic given that it is typically expressed subtly and automatically causing it to remain unnoticed and thus unchanged. This research illustrated across two studies that individuals have automatic ableist attitudes toward mental illness, yet the expression of stigma depends on the combination of their implicit and explicit attitudes. Furthermore, Study 2 was the first to demonstrate an effective intervention designed to specifically target implicit stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness. The findings have implications for implementing social policies that serve to raise awareness of and reduce implicit stigma to ultimately improve the lives for those affected by mental illness.
ISSN:0022-4537
1540-4560
DOI:10.1111/josi.12343