Managing the terror of a dangerous world: Political attitudes as predictors of mental health stigma

County characteristics associated with behavioral health emergency medical services calls

A substantial portion of the 20 million calls that emergency medical services (EMS) personnel respond to each year are considered preventable, including more than 1.5 million behavioral health calls. Despite goals of preventing behavioral health crises and reducing the burden on patients and EMS personnel, little is known about how demographic and community characteristics influence behavioral health calls. Using nationwide 2021 EMS call data, we identified counties with high behavioral health calls and examined their demographic and community characteristics. Low-income and racially diverse counties had a higher incidence of behavioral health EMS calls, while politically conservative counties had a lower incidence of behavioral health EMS calls. To better meet the emergency behavioral health needs of communities, policy and decision-makers should consider strategies that increase access to and awareness of alternative behavioral health crisis services (eg, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline).

Stay (Close to) Humble: Intellectual Humility Negatively Predicts Stigma Toward and Social Distance from Individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains a highly stigmatized disorder despite its prevalence. Given that the origin of stigmatization is rooted in cognitive representations that people hold, stigma may be differentially exhibited by people with varying degrees of cognitive flexibility. Intellectual humility, the recognition of one's own intellectual shortcomings or flaws, may allow for flexibility in how people navigate knowledge surrounding PTSD, which may reduce stigma and improve interpersonal interactions with individuals with PTSD. The present study investigated whether intellectual humility would negatively predict PTSD stigma and social distance, above and beyond demographic factors and personal or social experience with individuals with PTSD. Participants (N = 421, 67.2% men, mean age = 37.45, SDage = 9.99) completed a multidimensional measure for intellectual humility and the Mental Illness Stigma Scale adapted to assess PTSD stigma. Results confirmed our preregistered predictions. Bivariate correlations demonstrated that overall intellectual humility was negatively correlated with overall PTSD stigma, and overall intellectual humility was negatively correlated with overall social distance. That is, intellectually humble people reported less PTSD stigma and desired closer social distance with individuals with PTSD. Additionally, hierarchical multiple regression revealed that intellectual humility predicted unique variance in PTSD stigma and social distance above and beyond the contribution of demographic factors and personal experience or social relationships with someone with PTSD. These results may provide a useful framework for approaching and minimizing stigma toward PTSD.

Predictors of recent mental health service utilization among firearm-owning US service members with high levels of psychological distress

INTRODUCTION

Service members with mental health difficulties and access to a firearm are at an increased risk for suicide. Mental healthcare providers are well-positioned to discuss firearms and create safety plans; however, many service members do not seek treatment. This study aims to identify potential sociodemographic predictors of recent mental healthcare utilization among firearm-owning service members who report past month distress.

METHODS

The sample included 268 US military service members. Participants reported whether they attended at least one behavioral health visit in the 3 months prior to participation.

RESULTS

Females, individuals of a racial background other than Black or White, older individuals, and those who have never been active-duty were more likely to have attended a session. Additionally, the likelihood of utilization was higher among those who reported past week wish to die and suicidal behaviors in the past year.

CONCLUSION

While certain service members are less likely to have utilized mental healthcare, findings suggest that those with suicidal ideation and access to a firearm are likely to engage in at least one appointment. As such, providing mental healthcare providers with training and resources for promoting secure firearm storage is an important avenue for suicide prevention.

[Attitudes Toward Coercive Measures in Psychiatry: Indicators of Polarized Attitudes from a Representative German Sample]

Attitudes Toward Coercive Measures in Psychiatry: Indicators of Polarized Attitudes from a Representative German Sample Abstract: Objective: This study examined the attitudes of the German general population toward physical restraint (PR) and chemical restraint (CR) used in psychiatric settings to protect against self-endangerment and endangerment of others. Method: We analyzed attitudes toward coercive measures (CM) in a representative German sample (N = 2.485), exploring their distribution and association with sociodemographic factors using chi2 tests and multinomial logistic regressions. Results: Two-thirds of subjects indicated acceptance of CR, whereas only 6 % approved PR. Rejection of CM was more common in people from West Germany (χ2(3) = 33.396, adj p < .001, φ = .116), rural areas (χ2(3) = 14.065, adj p = .018, φ = .057), and among individuals associated with right-wing political parties (χ2(3) = 17.602, adj p = .008, φ = .105). Conclusions: 67 % of the sample accept coercive medication, while a quarter reject it, which illustrates the heterogeneity of attitudes and the need for more information and education. Despite the political tendency toward more coercive elements in psychiatric treatment, this contradicts the professional discourse, which is why a public survey could be useful in sharpening professional policy positions.

Political conservatism and social distancing from people living with HIV among Medical students: mediating roles of negative stereotypes and negative Intergroup emotions

BACKGROUND

HIV-related stigma within the health care system is a major barrier preventing people living with HIV (PLWH) from accessing and continuing treatment. Psychosocial factors such as political orientation, personality characteristics, and personal moral values of health care providers have not been adequately investigated. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and effects of these drivers on social distancing from PLWH is needed. The present study aims to fill these gaps in the literature by examining the stigmatizing attitudes of medical students from the perspective of the inevitability of prejudice.

METHOD

We sampled 609 medical students in Türkiye. Political orientation, stereotyping attitudes, stigmatizing attitudes, emotional reactions toward PLWH, and social distance from PLWH were assessed via self-reported questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis and serial mediation analysis were used.

RESULTS

Political conservatism correlated significantly with negative stereotypes (r =.29, p <.01) and negative intergroup emotions (r =.35, p =.01). Notably, negative stereotypes were strongly associated with social distancing (r =.41, p <.01). Serial mediation analysis indicated that the total effect of political conservatism on social distancing was significant. The serial indirect association between higher political conservatism and higher social distancing from PLWH was significant (β = 0.07, SE = 0.01, 95% CI [0.05, 0.10]). This association was mediated first by endorsing negative stereotypes about PLWH and then by negative intergroup emotions toward PLWH.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that interventions targeting stereotyping and negative intergroup emotions could reduce discriminatory attitudes and behaviors of medical students, thereby enhancing healthcare delivery to PLWH. Policy measures can focus on the integration of stigma-reduction training and intergroup sensitivity programs in medical education curricula. Furthermore, it may help to address discrimination in the healthcare system and beyond by enhancing understanding of structural and societal factors that drive HIV-related stigma.

'Zombie drugs': Dehumanising news frames and public stigma towards people who use drugs

BACKGROUND

News media is an important determinant of public understanding of drug policy topics. Recent media reporting around the use of synthetic drugs such as xylazine makes frequent use of non-human metaphors, including reference to the effects of 'zombie drugs'. We investigated whether presentation of news stories which included such dehumanising frames were associated with i) increased stigmatising attitudes towards people who use drugs; and ii) lower support for relevant harm reduction programmes.

METHODS

We undertook a cross-sectional online experimental study with a randomised factorial design, using a nationally representative sample (UK). Participants (N = 1417) were randomly presented with one of six simulated news stories based on recent reports of the identification of xylazine in the drug market. Stories differed with respect to text (neutral or referred to either a 'zombie drug', or a drug that 'turns people into zombies'); and accompanying imagery (neutral or depicting immobile people under the influence of drugs). Stigmatising attitudes and support for harm reduction were assessed using instruments including an adapted version of the Attribution Questionnaire-Substance Use Disorders (AQ-SUD) and analysed using MANOVA.

RESULTS

Data were obtained for 1235 participants (52 % female; mean age 47 ± 16). Attitudes towards people who use drugs were more stigmatising amongst participants presented with either of the dehumanising text conditions (both p < 0.001). There was no main effect of imagery and no interaction between text and imagery on stigma scores. Support for harm reduction programmes did not differ between conditions.

CONCLUSION

Our study is the first to show that dehumanising 'zombie' framing frequently used in news reporting is associated with higher public stigma towards people who use drugs. News media is an important source of public education on drugs, so to avoid reinforcing stigma the use of dehumanising language and framing, such as 'zombie' metaphors, should be avoided. Organisations working to reduce stigma towards people who use drugs should encourage news outputs and journalists to avoid this type of representation.

Right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance, system justification, and conservative political ideology as predictors of mental health stigma: The Hungarian case

BACKGROUND

Insights from mental health stigma research indicate the importance of societal and political views on mental health perceptions. Most studies originate from typical Western neo-liberal settings and focus on generic mental health issues. Our research explores these associations in Hungary, an understudied post-communist context with significant stigma levels, examining a broad range of stigmas related to both general and three specific mental illnesses: schizophrenia, depression, and alcohol use disorder (AUD).

AIMS

The study aims to connect a wide array of political dispositions to stigma associated with both general and specific mental illnesses, exploring both attitudes and behavioral intentions.

METHODS

We surveyed 492 participants (147 males, 342 females) on their political dispositions, including Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), general and economic system justification, and conservative political ideology, and their attitudes toward general and specific mental illnesses. Regression analyses identified key political dispositions influencing stigma.

RESULTS

RWA was significantly linked to most stigma outcomes, while conservative political ideology showed a selective impact. Other predictors had minimal influence on stigma outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that perceptions of danger, threat, and unconventionality, as indicated by RWA, are crucial for mental health stigmatization in Hungary. Intervention programs should target these factors, particularly in similar contexts.

Public Attitudes, Inequities, and Polarization in the Launch of the 988 Lifeline

CONTEXT

To address the considerable burden of mental health need in the United States, Congress passed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act in 2020. The act rebranded the national suicide prevention lifeline as 988, a three-digit number akin to 911 for individuals to call in the case of a mental health emergency. Surprisingly little is known about American attitudes toward this new lifeline.

METHODS

The authors use a demographically representative survey of 5,482 US adults conducted June 24-28, 2022, to examine the influence of mental health status, partisan identification, and demographic characteristics on public awareness of the new 988 lifeline, public support for the lifeline, and intention to use it.

FINDINGS

The authors find that while only a quarter of Americans are aware of the lifeline, support for the 988 lifeline is widespread, with more than 75% of Americans indicating they would be likely to use the new number if needed. The authors identify key disparities in awareness, support, and intended use, with Republicans, individuals with low socioeconomic status, and Blacks less supportive of the 988 lifeline and in some cases less likely to use it.

CONCLUSIONS

The results point to the need for additional interventions that increase public awareness of 988 and reduce disparities in program knowledge, support, and intention to use.

The stigma of mental health problems: A cross-sectional study in a representative sample of Spain

BACKGROUND

Mental health stigma is a relevant phenomenon with implications for the people who suffer from it. Despite its importance, no studies have been carried out in Spain at national level with a representative sample of the population.

AIMS

The aim of this research is to analyze the stigma associated with MHPs in a representative sample of the Spanish population for the first time.

METHOD

A cross-sectional quantitative descriptive study was carried out with a representative sample of the population (N = 2746). Descriptive analyses and regressions are carried out on the different dimensions of stigma such as attitude, attribution and intention of social distance.

RESULTS

Medium levels of stigma are obtained in stigmatizing attitudes and attributions, and medium-low levels in the intention of social distance. The best predictors of stigma in its different dimensions are attitudes, attributions and intention of social distance themselves. Progressive political ideology is related to less stigma in all dimensions. Knowing someone with mental health problems and talking openly about it together with higher education are also relevant protectors. Mixed results are obtained regarding age, gender and help-seeking.

CONCLUSION

National programs and campaigns focused on attitudes, attributions and behavioral intentions are necessary to reduce the stigma still present in Spanish society.

Mental illness through the perspective of undergraduate medical students in Greece: a cross-sectional study at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Introduction

Numerous studies reveal that mental health-related stigma, stereotypes, and prejudices negatively affect the patients, jeopardizing their health, prognosis, and social opportunities. Healthcare professionals, who are in the first line of combating mental disease, are expected to play a significant role in drastically changing discriminatory and stigmatizing attitudes toward psychiatric patients and in diminishing the existing healthcare and social disparities. In this study, we aimed to explore and highlight the views of Greek medical students-that is of the future physicians-toward mental illness and people suffering from it.

Materials and methods

It is a cross-sectional, observational study, in which 324 undergraduate students from the most populous Greek medical school of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, participated online, during the spring semester of 2022. The tools used were the Opinions about Mental Illness Scale (OMI) that assesses one's viewpoints about mental illness, the Social Distance Scale (SDS) that captures the desired degree of social distancing from patients with mental disorders, and the Level of Contact Report (LCR-12) that estimates the level of familiarity with them.

Results

Participants displayed rather positive attitudes regarding the etiology of mental illness, social integration, and discrimination toward psychiatric patients [as evaluated with the respective OMI subscales; Etiology mean score (μ):8.87 ± 4.68, Social Integration (μ):17.79 ± 5.42, Social Discrimination (μ):13.54 ± 11.17], and more clearly favorable opinions concerning the need for social provision or the enactment of restrictive measures [as expressed with the relative OMI subscales; Social Care (μ):22.74 ± 4.56, Social Restriction (μ):13.27 ± 8.98], while claiming to be quite familiar with mental disorders and individuals experiencing them (as assessed with LCR; μ: 8.71 ± 2.16), and relatively willing to interact with them (as measured with SDS; μ:8.95 ± 4.23). Degree of familiarity with mental illness was directly proportional to the desire for contact with patients living with it, while the higher both were, the more improved most of the aforementioned OMI sectors were found to be. Female sex, clinical medical education, previous clinical psychiatric training, and living with or being a person with a mental disorder were the factors that defined a statistically refined profile in many of the aspects above.

Conclusion

Our findings are in accordance with many prior and recent studies, while showing improved opinions compared to those of previous research in Greek student and healthcare population. They are calling for vigilance, rather than complacency, as well as educational and social interventions, in order to enable current and future healthcare professionals to perform their function to its fullest extent. Implications of our results and further research suggestions are included.

Beyond recovery: toward rights-based mental health care - A cluster randomized wait-list controlled trial of a recovery and rights training for mental health professionals with or without first person accounts

Introduction

Mental health models grounded in Recovery and Rights are driving the advancement of transformative care systems through multifaceted actions, which encompass Continuing Professional Development. The objective of this work is to evaluate a training activity developed through a participatory process that included people with lived experience of psychosocial distress, their relatives, and mental health professionals.

Methods

The training focused on alternatives to diagnosis, recovery principles, rights-based care, and peer support. The evaluation followed a cluster randomized wait-list controlled design. Four hundred eighty-eight health professionals from eight care centers were randomized to three experimental conditions: a wait list control, which underwent a one-month interval between the baseline assessment and the training activity, and two experimental groups, with or without first-person accounts, which accessed the training immediately after completing the baseline assessment. The dependent variables measured at all follow-ups were beliefs and attitudes toward mental health service users' rights. One hundred ninety-two professionals completed at least one follow-up and were included in the analyses.

Results

We observed different evolutions of experimental and control groups with statistically significant differences for tolerance to coercion and total beliefs and attitudes scores. No differences were observed between the groups with or who attended training activities with or without first person accounts. Upon receiving the training activity, the control group had an evolution equivalent to the experimental groups.

Discussion

The results of this evaluation project provide compelling evidence for the need to expand recovery and rights training activities to reach a larger audience of mental health professionals These training activities hold the potential to positively influence the beliefs and attitudes of mental health professionals, ultimately contributing toward a better future for individuals with lived experience of psychosocial distress.

An Examination of Factors Affecting State Legislators' Support for Parity Laws for Different Mental Illnesses

Mental health parity legislation can improve mental health outcomes. U.S. state legislators determine whether state parity laws are adopted, making it critical to assess factors affecting policy support. This study examines the prevalence and demographic correlates of legislators' support for state parity laws for four mental illnesses- major depression disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and anorexia/bulimia. Using a 2017 cross-sectional survey of 475 U.S. legislators, we conducted bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression. Support for parity was highest for schizophrenia (57%), PTSD (55%), and major depression (53%) and lowest for anorexia/bulimia (40%). Support for parity was generally higher among females, more liberal legislators, legislators in the Northeast region of the country, and those who had previously sought treatment for mental illness. These findings highlight the importance of better disseminating evidence about anorexia/bulimia and can inform dissemination efforts about mental health parity laws to state legislators.

HIV and Mental Health Services in the US South: A Meso Analysis

The US South is disproportionately impacted by HIV. Social, cultural, economic, and political characteristics of the South shape access to mental health services leaving adverse impacts on health and wellness outcomes among People Living with HIV. The aim of this paper was to: (a) identify meso factors (at individual, organizational and community-level manifestations) which impact mental health services among People living with HIV in the South of those factors and (b) pose community-articulated recommendation and strategies. Through qualitative interviews with People Living with HIV and service providers, this study found that the meso factors of restricted funding and compounding stigma shaped mental health services in the South. Given the disproportionate rate of HIV, lack of mental health care, and landscape of socio-political factors unique to the region, attention to intervenable meso factors and community-based strategies are needed to enhance mental health services and respond to the HIV epidemic in the US South.

Association of stigmatizing attitudes with people’s opinion of depression as a valid reason for sickness absence: A Swedish vignette study

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common cause of sickness absence (SA) and also highly associated with stigma. Few studies have addressed the role of stigma in relation to SA. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if attitudes to depression were associated with the public’s opinion of depression as a valid reason of SA. METHODS: The study population (n = 2413) originated from a web-based panel of citizens. The survey included a short vignette describing a person with symptoms of depression and the person’s work tasks, followed by a question on recommendation of SA. Negative attitudes were measured by the Depression Stigma Scale. Logistic regressions were used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) for the likelihood of not recommending SA, controlling for individual and work-related co-variates. RESULTS: The crude association between negative attitudes and not recommending SA was OR 2.15 (95% CI, 1.76–2.62). In the fully adjusted model the OR was 1.76 (95% CI, 1.40 –2.21) for not recommending SA. CONCLUSIONS: Participants with negative attitudes to depression were more likely to not consider depression as a valid reason of sickness absence. The study supports theories on layered stigma; attitudes from one arena are related to other arenas. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings.

'Love comes first, and it is ahead of any different political partisanism': How political polarizations compare to other forms of discrimination in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

BACKGROUND

Affective polarization and stigma toward individuals with schizophrenia and toward immigrants in Argentina are not new despite its importance and dissemination. However, no research has been conducted taking into consideration political partisanship and attitudes toward these groups.

AIMS

Political polarization and attitudes toward socialization across party lines are studied in conjunction with attitudes toward immigrants and toward individuals with schizophrenia.

METHOD

Individuals from Buenos Aires (n = 712) were surveyed for their political partisanship and their attitudes toward Peruvian and Bolivian immigrants, people with schizophrenia and partisans from the opposing political party. A modified version of the Bogardus scale was used.

RESULTS

Social distance was from highest to lowest toward people with schizophrenia, political opponents, and immigrants. Individuals with schizophrenia were strongly discriminated against by most participants: 86% would definitely or probably not want them to take care of their children, 83% would not want them to be their healthcare provider, and 81% would not want to marry them. Immigrants were comparatively not discriminated against: 10% would not want them to take care of their children, 8% would not want to receive health care from them, and 28% would not want to marry them. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner partisans showed the lowest level of discrimination toward these two groups, compared to Mauricio Macri partisans and to independent voters. However, the former group had greater discriminatory attitudes toward Mauricio Macri partisans than the latter.

CONCLUSIONS

As compared to other discriminatory attitudes, discrimination toward persons with schizophrenia is widespread and pervasive. Lower levels of discrimination toward people with schizophrenia and toward immigrants would not predict attitudes toward the opposing political partisans.

Opioid Use Stigma: An Examination of Student Attitudes on Harm Reduction Strategies

Understanding how the public views harm reduction strategies may help inform researchers on how to reduce related stigma and barriers to help-seeking. The current study explored whether stigma towards those who use opioids was affected by gender and type of harm reduction strategy used. Undergraduate students (N = 328) were randomly assigned to read one of six vignettes varying by gender and the type of harm reduction strategy: no harm reduction, opioid agonist therapy (OAT), or safe consumption sites (SCSs). Results demonstrated that participants were less stigmatizing towards the character who engaged in OAT compared to the character with no harm reduction. There was also a pattern demonstrating that SCSs may be perceived more negatively than OAT, although these differences only met conventional significance, not adjusted/corrected alphas. There were no significant effects for gender. Qualitative results revealed that participants held misconceptions about harm reduction. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Blind spots in stigma research? Broadening our perspective on mental illness stigma by exploring 'what matters most' in modern Western societies

AIMS

The theory of 'what matters most' (WMM) has been developed to understand differences in mental illness stigma between cultures, postulating that stigma becomes most pervasive in situations that matter most in a specific cultural context. The rise of populism in Western societies demonstrates that also within one cultural context, different values 'matter most' to different groups. We expand the WMM framework to explore the spectrum of stigma manifestations within Western societies, relating it to both conservative/authoritarian and liberal/modern values. From our findings, we will develop hypotheses on how further research into value orientations and stigma might address potential blind spots in stigma research.

METHODS

Based on a narrative review of the literature on mental illness stigma and value orientations, we apply the WMM framework to cultural mechanisms of stigma within modern Western societies.

RESULTS

There are several studies showing an association between traditional, authoritarian, conservative values with stronger mental illness stigma, while studies examining the stigma within liberal, modern value orientations are scarce. We hypothesise on situations where encountering a person with mental illness could threaten liberal values and thus might provoke stigma among persons with such value orientations. For example, living with a person with mental illness could be seen as consuming energy and time, thereby jeopardising 'self-actualisation', the modern value of realising one's own full potential. As a result, a person highly valuing self-actualisation might try to avoid contact with persons with mental illness. Instances of potential 'liberal stigma' also include structural stigma or self-stigma, when, e.g. changing assumptions of what is considered 'normal' increase perceptions of being fundamentally different when experiencing mental illness.

CONCLUSIONS

'WMM' appears to be a useful framework to direct research to potential blind spots within the field of stigma research. Looking at instances where liberal values conflict with dealing with a person with mental illness could provide a more comprehensive understanding of stigma experiences among persons with mental illness. However, for measuring stigma, tapping into liberal variations of mental illness stigma is methodologically challenging. Qualitative work could be the first step to elicit potential stigma experiences based on conflicts with liberal values.

Socioeconomic status and mental illness stigma: the impact of mental illness controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments

BACKGROUND

Prior research has suggested that higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES) may be linked with heightened mental illness stigma (MIS). It has been posited that this link is due to the resource-rich environment high-SES individuals live in, which predisposes them to seeing the certain phenomena as being more controllable in nature than low-SES individuals.

AIMS

The current study intended to address the attributional mechanisms behind the SES-MIS link.

METHODS

In a sample of 932 participants, we collected self-reported SES along with the controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments participants make for individuals with mental illnesses.

RESULTS

Analyses indicated that SES was significantly associated with greater MIS levels, and that this link was significantly mediated by controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that high-SES individuals are more likely to see mental illness as due to internal, controllable factors, which leads to blaming the individual for mental illness onset and, ultimately, greater mental illness stigma. These results provide support for more socioeconomically diverse committees and panels where mental health funding decisions are made due to inherent attributional biases which may be present along the SES spectrum.

Talking About Suicide: Trends in Christian and Socially Conservative Suicide Decedents

This study examined the relationship between religious affiliation, social policy beliefs, and whether individuals spoke with anyone about suicide prior to suicide death. Two hundred sixty-seven suicide loss survivors reported on characteristics of suicide decedents. Binary logistic regressions found those who identified as socially liberal were more likely to have discussed suicide with the loss survivor or to have told someone else they were thinking about attempting suicide than were those who identified as socially conservative. Follow-up analyses indicated Christian affiliation was only associated with a lower likelihood of having discussed suicide with the loss survivor among older men. Results indicated that specific worldviews may serve as obstacles to suicidal individuals discussing their suicidal thoughts prior to death. As such, the findings indicate that public health approaches to suicide prevention that do not rely on open reporting of suicidal ideation may be vital within such communities.

Help-seeking Behavior in Socially Conservative and Christian Suicide Decedents

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between religious affiliation, political beliefs, and lifetime mental health help-seeking behavior in a sample of suicide decedents. We hypothesized that Christian decedents would be less likely to have sought help than non-Christians, and socially conservative individuals would be less likely to have sought help than socially liberal or moderate individuals.

METHOD

Smaller samples (N = 147 for political analyses, N = 218 for religion analyses) were drawn from a larger sample of 267 suicide decedents, for whom data were collected from loss survivors.

RESULTS

Logistic regression analyses showed that Christian and non-Christian individuals did not differ significantly in help-seeking behavior prior to death by suicide. Individuals who identified as socially liberal were significantly more likely to have sought mental health care than were individuals who identified as socially conservative.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to examine the association between social conservatism and a lack of help-seeking behavior. These findings show the importance of implementing interventions to increase help-seeking behavior for suicidality within demographic groups that stigmatize help-seeking behavior, specifically socially conservative individuals. They also stress the importance of suicide prevention tactics that do not require disclosing suicidal intent within these groups.

Political Ideology and Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward Depression: The Swedish Case

BACKGROUND

Stigmatizing attitudes toward persons with mental disorders is a well-established and global phenomenon often leading to discrimination and social exclusion. Although previous research in the United States showed that conservative ideology has been related to stigmatizing attitudes toward mental disorders, there is reason to believe that this mechanism plays a different role in the context of a universal welfare state with a multi-party system such as Sweden. Furthermore, "mental disorders" may signify severe psychotic disorders, which may evoke more negative attitudes. This suggests the importance of specific studies focusing on the more common phenomenon of depression. This paper investigates the relationship between political ideology and stigmatizing attitudes toward depression in Sweden.

METHODS

This study is part of the New Ways research program. Data were collected by the Laboratory of Opinion Research (LORE) at the University of Gothenburg in 2014 (N = 3246). Independent variables were political ideology and party affiliation. The dependent variable was the Depression Stigma Scale (DSS). Data were analyzed with linear regression analyses and analyses of variance.

RESULTS

More conservative ideology (B = 0.68, standard error [SE] = 0.04, P<.001) and more conservative party affiliation (F(8 2920) = 38.45, P<.001) showed more stigmatizing attitudes toward depression. Item-level analyses revealed a difference where the supporters of the conservative party differed (P<.05) from supporters of the liberal party, with a higher proportion agreeing that "people could snap out of " depression if they wanted to; the populist right-wing party differed from the conservative party with a higher proportion agreeing on items displaying people with depression as "dangerous" and "unpredictable." Even self-stigma was highest among the populist right-wing party with 22.3% agreeing that "if I had depression I wouldn't tell…."

CONCLUSION

Political ideology was associated with stigmatizing attitudes toward depression in Sweden. The results also confirm the need to distinguish between different forms of conservatism by observing social distance as being a more important driver among voters for the populist right-wing party compared with personal agency and responsibility among voters for the more traditional conservative party.

Political attitudes as predictors of the multiple dimensions of mental health stigma

BACKGROUND

Mental health (MH) stigma is multidimensional and remains common in the United States and throughout the world. While sociopolitical attitudes such as right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) have emerged as strong predictors of some aspects of MH stigma, no study has assessed the relationship between RWA and multidimensional components of MH stigma, or linked this relationship to a theory of stigma.

AIMS

The association between RWA and multiple stigma outcomes, including stereotypes, attributions/negative affect, social distance, microaggressions and help-seeking self-stigma was assessed controlling for covariates, including education, age, social desirability, race/ethnicity, gender, geographic location and prior contact with mental illness.

METHOD

A total of 518 US residents (from all geographic regions; convenience sample) completed an online survey.

RESULTS

Findings indicated that RWA was significantly associated with all MH stigma dimensions analyzed, even after controlling for covariates. A hypothesized mediator for this relationship, dangerous world beliefs, was not supported as a theoretical explanation.

CONCLUSION

Right-wing authoritarianism predicts various dimensions of mental health stigma, but more research is needed to determine the theoretical underpinnings. These current findings may guide research in this area and be used to target a variety of conservative audiences for stigma reduction.

Sociodemographic Predictors of Sex Offender Stigma: How Politics Impact Attitudes, Social Distance, and Perceptions of Sex Offender Recidivism

Stigma toward general criminal offenders has been found to be particularly salient among community members who identify as politically conservative; however, less is known about how political identification relates to stigma toward sex offenders. This is a particularly important area of inquiry, given that criminal jurisprudence and politics legitimatize stigmatizing labels attributed to sex offenders through laws and policies that apply specifically to this group. A nonrandom sample ( N = 518) of participants living in the United States was recruited for this survey study. Findings indicated that a specific aspect of conservative political ideology-right-wing authoritarianism (RWA)-significantly predicts negative attitudes and intended social distancing behavior toward sex offenders, even when controlling for other important predictors, such as education and prior contact. RWA was found to be the strongest predictor of negative attitudes and estimations of sex offender recidivism, and also significantly predicted intended social distancing behavior. Implications for addressing stigma toward sex offenders are discussed.