Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair and Members

Philip Wong, Chair

Sara Haden

Benjamin Saunders

Keywords

Fear, Mental illness, Stigma

Abstract

This study sought to clarify the underlying mechanisms behind mental illness stigma. Using a sample of 303 adults from the general population, participants completed a series of online self-reports in response to a vignette about “Harry,” an individual who was described as either Black or White, with schizophrenia or depression. Respondents answered questions regarding perceptions of dangerousness, causal attributions of mental illness, and endorsement of stigmatizing beliefs, and also provided narratives for Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) cards that were coded using the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (SCORS). Results of structural equation modeling indicated that there was no direct relationship between diagnosis or race and level of stigma. However, participants did endorse higher levels of stigma when Harry was diagnosed with schizophrenia versus depression, through increased endorsement of perceived dangerousness, indicating that perceptions of dangerousness play a critical role in individuals’ stigma schemas. While biological beliefs about mental illness did not mediate the relationship between diagnosis and level of stigma, exploratory analyses found that participants who identified themselves as having been diagnosed with a mental illness endorsed lower levels of stigma overall, though self/other representations did not impact this relationship. Despite limited findings, the replication of research regarding perceptions of dangerousness, intersectional nature of the study, and inclusion of projective personality measures make this a novel contribution to stigma research. Clinical and social implications as well as limitations and future directions were also considered.

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