Understanding Social Stigma, Stigma Resistance and the Mental Illness Identity

该项目通过关注有心理健康问题的个人将负面陈规定型观念内化的方式，解决与心理疾病相关的社会耻辱和歧视问题。 在项目的第一阶段，如何感知他人的反馈与自我观点进行了检查。 感知反馈的三个来源被认为是：一般的其他人（社会观点），亲密的家人和朋友（重要的其他人），以及其他精神疾病（类似的其他人）。 在第二阶段，研究个体如何通过不同的策略来减少自我观点和感知反馈之间的差异，从而抵制社会污名。 方法论的方法推进了社会科学家如何衡量身份和耻辱。 通过确定污名抵抗策略有助于减少污名的破坏性影响的条件，本研究对改善精神疾病患者的心理健康和康复具有一定的意义。通过网络收集-基于面板的平台，产生反映美国人口统计模式的全国代表性样本。诊断和未诊断的心理健康问题。这种抽样策略允许精神疾病症状的严重程度的变化和稳定的自我有关的精神疾病的身份，并在同一时间允许跨社会群体的身份和耻辱过程的普遍性。受访者报告了一系列与精神疾病特别相关的属性，以及一系列与耻辱作斗争的认知和行为策略。数据分析包括全面评估拟议的身份和污名措施。 该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This project addresses social stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness by focusing on the ways that individuals with mental health concerns internalize negative stereotypes. In the first phase of the project, how perceived feedback from others relates to self-views is examined. Three sources of perceived feedback are considered: others in general (societal views), close family and friends (significant others), and others with mental illness (similar others). In the second phase, the ways in which individuals resist social stigma by using different strategies to reduce discrepancies between self-views and perceived feedback are investigated. The methodological approach advances how social scientists measure identity and stigma. By identifying the conditions under which stigma resistance strategies help to reduce stigma’s damaging effects, this study has implications for improving the psychological well-being and recovery of individuals with mental illness.This project uses a probability sample of 2000 adults, collected via a web-based panel platform that produces a nationally representative sample reflecting demographic patterns in the U.S. The sample includes individuals with diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health concerns. This sampling strategy allows variation in severity of mental illness symptoms and stability of self-views related to the mental illness identity and at the same time allows for generalizability of identity and stigma processes across social groups. Respondents report on a range of attributes specifically associated with mental illness, as well an array of cognitive and behavioral strategies for combating stigma. Data analysis includes a comprehensive assessment of the proposed measures of identity and stigma. An integrated model of the mental illness identity that includes the role of stigma resistance is tested.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.