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如何将负面的陈规定型观念内化来解决与精神疾病有关的社会耻辱和歧视。在该项目的第一阶段，我们考察了他人的反馈如何与自我观点相关。感知反馈的三个来源被考虑：一般的其他人(社会观点)，亲密的家人和朋友(重要的其他人)，以及患有精神疾病的其他人(类似的其他人)。在第二阶段，研究了个体如何通过使用不同的策略来减少自我观点和感知反馈之间的差异来抵制社会污名的方式。方法论方法推进了社会科学家衡量身份和污名的方法。通过确定抵制污名策略有助于减少污名的破坏性影响的条件，这项研究对改善精神疾病患者的心理健康和康复具有意义。该项目使用了2000名成年人的概率样本，这些样本是通过一个基于网络的小组平台收集的，该平台产生了反映美国人口统计模式的全国代表性样本。样本包括有诊断和未诊断的心理健康问题的个人。这种抽样策略允许精神疾病症状的严重程度的变化和与精神疾病身份相关的自我观点的稳定性，同时允许跨社会群体的身份和污名过程的概括性。受访者报告了一系列与精神疾病具体相关的属性，以及一系列与污名作斗争的认知和行为策略。数据分析包括对拟议的身份和污名措施进行全面评估。测试了包括抵制污名的角色的精神疾病身份的综合模型。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.