Implicit and Explicit Stigma of Mental Illness in Diagnosed and Healthy Samples

Abstract

The stigma of mental illness remains a serious social problem and critical impediment to treatment seeking among diagnosed individuals. Study 1 evaluated explicit attitudes and stereotypes about persons with mental illness relative to persons with physical illness, and also implicit attitudes that lie outside conscious control (using the Implicit Association Test) in a college sample (N = 119). Study 2 extended the evaluation of explicit and implicit biases to a sample diagnosed with mental illness (N = 35) and a healthy control sample from the general population (N = 36). Results demonstrated implicit negative attitudes and beliefs about the helplessness and blameworthiness of mentally ill persons. Interestingly, relatively negative explicit attitudes and biases about the helplessness (though not blameworthiness) of mentally ill persons were also evident. In addition, being a member of the stigmatized group did not result in lower implicit or explicit biases, suggesting that no protective in–group bias exists.