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Amy C Watson

Publications and source records attributed to Amy C Watson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Will filmed presentations of education and contact diminish mental illness stigma?

This study examines the impact of two versions of anti-stigma programs-education and contact-presented on videotape. A total of 244 people were randomly assigned to education or contact conditions and completed pre-test, post-test, and follow-up measures of stereotypes. Results suggest that the education videotape had limited effects, mostly showing improvement in responsibility (people with mental illness are not to blame for their symptoms and disabilities). Watching the contact videotaped showed significant improvement in pity, empowerment, coercion, and segregation. Contact effects were evident at post-test and 1 week follow-up. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Blame, shame, and contamination: the impact of mental illness and drug dependence stigma on family members.

Family members of relatives with mental illness or drug dependence or both report that they are frequently harmed by public stigma. No population-based survey, however, has assessed how members of the general public actually view family members. Hence, the authors examined ways that family role and psychiatric disorder influence family stigma. A national sample (N = 968) was recruited for this study. A vignette design describing a person with a health condition and a family member was used. Family stigma related to mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, is not highly endorsed. Family stigma related to drug dependence, however, is worse than for other health conditions, with family members being blamed for both the onset and offset of a relative's disorder and likely to be socially shunned.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Solutions to discrimination in work and housing identified by people with mental illness.

Several studies have examined the breadth and depth of the impact of the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. This study examines perceived solutions to discrimination in housing and employment situations. We expected identification of solutions to be positively associated with disease insight and personal empowerment. One hundred people with serious mental illness completed measures of perceived solutions to discrimination exhibited by an employer or a landlord. They also completed measures of empowerment and insight. Results showed high frequency solutions included looking for a job or apartment elsewhere, or seeking help from family and friends. Insight was significantly associated with number of endorsed solutions, while the interaction between insight and empowerment described a nonsignificant trend. Implications of these findings for stigma change are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Findings from the National Comorbidity Survey on the frequency of violent behavior in individuals with psychiatric disorders.

Previous studies using probability samples have found a noticeable, but small association between violence and psychiatric disorder. In this article, we analyze data from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) to further examine this question. Psychiatric diagnosis of survey responses was based on a modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The NCS study also included items that permitted self-report of violent behaviors in the past year. People with 12-month diagnoses of anxiety disorders, dysthymia and major depression were three to four times more likely to admit violent behaviors than those with no disorders. People with bipolar disorder or drug and alcohol abuse were eight times more likely to report violent behaviors. People with co-occurring non-substance and substance abuse disorders were more likely to report violence than those with only non-abuse disorders. Adjusting violence rates by population base rates shows demographics including ethnicity and gender to be a better predictor of violent behavior than psychiatric diagnosis. The NCS findings approximate those in other probability studies and echo the conclusions of the 1996 Consensus Statement by Advocates and Researchers on violence and mental illness; namely, mental illness is only a weak predictor of violent behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Adolescent attitudes toward serious mental illness.

While there is a growing literature on mental illness stigma and strategies for reducing stigma among adults, less is known about how children and adolescents view persons with mental illness. In this paper, we describe the Attitudes Toward Serious Mental Illness Scale-Adolescent Version (ATSMI-AV) and our initial examinations of its factor structure and variations among subgroups of adolescents. Findings suggest that strategies aimed at reducing stigma in this age group would be wise to specifically target categorical thinking about mental health and mental illness and perceptions of persons with mental illness being violent and out of control.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Newspaper stories as measures of structural stigma.

OBJECTIVES: Structural stigma and discrimination occur when an institution like a newspaper, rather than an individual, promulgates stigmatizing messages about mental illness. This study examined current trends in the news media on reporting topics of mental illness. METHODS: All relevant stories (N=3,353) in large U.S. newspapers were identified and coded during six weeklong periods in 2002. Stories were coded by themes that fit into four categories: dangerousness, blame, treatment and recovery, and advocacy action (that is, calls for public policy and action that increase the quality of care or opportunities for those with mental illness). RESULTS: Thirty-nine percent of all stories focused on dangerousness and violence; these stories most often ended up in the front section. Few stories promulgated the idea that either the person or the family was responsible for mental illness (2 percent). Instead, stories about genetic or biological or environmental causation (for example, stress and trauma) were more common (15 percent). There were equal numbers of stories about biological and psychosocial treatments (13 and 14 percent, respectively). Four percent of all treatment-related stories addressed recovery. Twenty percent of stories contained themes that fell into the broad category of advocacy action. These stories addressed the shortage of resources in the public mental health arena, the need for better care, the absence of good-quality housing, and the goal of insurance parity. CONCLUSIONS: Data on how mental illness is represented in newspapers yield a useful perspective on structural stigma and the policies and standards that are applied by the news media. These findings have implications for influencing the press.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

Structural stigma in state legislation.

OBJECTIVE: This article discusses examples of structural stigma that results from state governments' enactment of laws that diminish the opportunities of people with mental illness. METHODS: To examine current trends in structural stigma, the authors identified and coded all relevant bills introduced in 2002 in the 50 states. Bills were categorized in terms of their effect on liberties, protection from discrimination, and privacy. The terms used to describe the targets of bills were examined: persons with "mental illness" or persons who are "incompetent" or "disabled" because of mental illness. RESULTS: About one-quarter of the state bills reviewed for this survey related to protection from discrimination. Within that category, half the bills reduced protections for the targeted individuals, such as restriction of firearms for people with current or past mental illness and reduced parental rights among persons with a history of mental illness. Half the bills seemed to expand protections, such as those that required mental health funding at the same levels provided for other medical conditions and those that disallowed use of mental health status in child custody cases. Legislation frequently confuses "incompetence" with "mental illness." CONCLUSIONS: Examples of structural stigma uncovered by surveys such as this one can inform advocates for persons with mental illness as to where an individual state stands in relation to the number of bills that affect persons with mental illness and whether these bills expand or contract the liberties of this stigmatized group.

Human Rights↗
PubMed2004

Stigmatizing attitudes about mental illness and allocation of resources to mental health services.

This study tests a social psychological model (Skitka & Tetlock, 1992). Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 28, 491-522; [1993]. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 65, 1205-1223 stating that policy maker decisions regarding the allocation of resources to mental health services are influenced by their attitudes towards people with mental illness and treatment efficacy. Fifty four individuals participated in a larger study of education about mental health stigma. Participants completed various measures of resource allocation preferences for mandated treatment and rehabilitation services, attributions about people with mental illness, and factors that influence allocation preferences including perceived treatment efficacy. Results showed significant attitudinal correlates with resource allocation preferences for mandated treatment, but no correlates to rehabilitation services. In particular, people who pity people with mental illness as well as those that endorse coercive and segregated treatments, were more likely to rate resource allocation to mandated care as important. Perceived treatment efficacy was also positively associated with resource allocation preferences for mandated treatment. A separate behavioral measure that involved donating money to NAMI was found to be inversely associated with blaming people for their mental illness and not being willing to help them. Implications of these findings on strategies that seek to increase resources for mental health programs are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

At issue: Stop the stigma: call mental illness a brain disease.

Educating the public that mental illness is a brain disease is a popular strategy for combating mental illness stigma. Evidence suggests that while such an approach reduces blame for mental illness, it may unintentionally exacerbate other components of stigma, particularly the benevolence and dangerousness stigmas. Conversely, psychosocial explanations have proven promising, yet they ignore the growing evidence regarding genetic and biological factors. We propose a balanced approach that combats the various myths about mental illness with factual information.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMed2004

Structural levels of mental illness stigma and discrimination.

Most of the models that currently describe processes related to mental illness stigma are based on individual-level psychological paradigms. In this article, using a sociological paradigm, we apply the concepts of structural discrimination to broaden our understanding of stigmatizing processes directed at people with mental illness. Structural, or institutional, discrimination includes the policies of private and governmental institutions that intentionally restrict the opportunities of people with mental illness. It also includes major institutions' policies that are not intended to discriminate but whose consequences nevertheless hinder the options of people with mental illness. After more fully defining intentional and unintentional forms of structural discrimination, we provide current examples of each. Then we discuss the implications of structural models for advancing our understanding of mental illness stigma, including the methodological challenges posed by this paradigm.

Persons with Disabilities↗
PubMed2004

Changing middle schoolers' attitudes about mental illness through education.

The field test of The Science of Mental Illness curriculum supplement for middle school (grades 6-8) children provided an opportunity to assess knowledge and attitudes about mental illness in more than 1,500 middle school students throughout the United States and to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on stigma-related attitudes. Two primary questions were examined: (1) what are the baseline knowledge and attitudes about mental illness in this sample of middle school students, and (2) does participation in a curriculum about the science of mental illness increase knowledge and improve attitudes about mental illness? Consistent with findings from other studies, results indicate that students had some understanding of mental illness as a problem of the brain with biological and psychosocial causes; however, they lacked knowledge about treatment and overall were "not sure" about many aspects of mental illness. The students did not strongly endorse negative attitudes about mental illness at baseline. The curriculum produced significant improvements in both knowledge and attitudes at posttest and was most effective in improving attitudes among those with more negative baseline attitudes. These findings suggest that a brief educational program can be an effective intervention to increase knowledge and improve attitudes about mental illness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Police officers' attitudes toward and decisions about persons with mental illness.

OBJECTIVE: A significant portion of police work involves contact with persons who have mental illness. This study examined how knowledge that a person has a mental illness influences police officers' perceptions, attitudes, and responses. METHODS: A total of 382 police officers who were taking a variety of in-service training courses were randomly assigned one of eight hypothetical vignettes describing a person in need of assistance, a victim, a witness, or a suspect who either was labeled as having schizophrenia or for whom no information about mental was provided. These officers completed measures that evaluated their perceptions and attitudes about the person described in the vignette. RESULTS: A 4 x 2 multivariate analysis of variance (vignette role by label) examining main and interaction effects on all subscales of the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ) indicated significant main effects for schizophrenia label, vignette role, and the interaction between the two. Subsequent univariate analyses of variance indicated significant main effects for role on all seven subscales of the AQ and for label on all but the anger and credibility subscales. Significant role-by-label interaction effects were found for the responsibility, pity, and credibility subscales. CONCLUSION: Police officers viewed persons with schizophrenia as being less responsible for their situation, more worthy of help, and more dangerous than persons for whom no mental illness information was provided.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Implications of educating the public on mental illness, violence, and stigma.

This study examined how two types of public education programs influenced how the public perceived persons with mental illness, their potential for violence, and the stigma of mental illness. A total of 161 participants were randomly assigned to one of three programs: one that aimed to combat stigma, one that highlighted the association between violence and psychiatric disorders, and a control group. Participants who completed the education-about-violence program were significantly more likely to report attitudes related to fear and dangerousness, to endorse services that coerced persons into treatment and treated them in segregated areas, to avoid persons with mental illness in social situations, and to be reluctant to help persons with mental illness.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Police responses to persons with mental illness: does the label matter?

With the movement of persons with mental illness out of hospitals and into the community, the frequency of contact between police officers and such persons, in crisis or otherwise, has increased significantly. How police respond in these situations has important consequences for the subject, police officers, and the community. Officers (n = 554) from police departments in a major metropolitan area participated in a vignette experiment that examined how information that a subject has a mental illness influences the way police officers respond in several types of situations. Results indicate that officers are less likely to take action based on information provided by victims and witnesses with mental illness. No differences were found in response to suspects with or without a mental illness. The effects of officer characteristics and perceptions of the subject on responses to the vignettes were also examined. Findings suggest several directions for training and future research.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Factors that explain how policy makers distribute resources to mental health services.

Advocates hope to influence the resource allocation decisions of legislators and other policy makers to capture more resources for mental health programs. Findings from social psychological research suggest factors that, if pursued, may improve advocacy efforts. In particular, allocation decisions are affected by policy makers' perceptions of the scarcity of resources, effectiveness of specific programs, needs of people who have problems that are served by these programs, and extent of personal responsibility for these problems. These perceptions are further influenced by political ideology. Conservatives are motivated by a tendency to punish persons who are perceived as having personal responsibility for their problems by withholding resources, whereas liberals are likely to avoid tough allocation decisions. Moreover, these perceptions are affected by political accountability, that is, whether politicians perceive that their constituents will closely monitor their decisions. Just as the quality of clinical interventions improves when informed by basic research on human behavior, the efforts of mental health advocates will be advanced when they understand the psychological forces that affect policy makers' decisions about resources.

Budgets↗
PubMed2003

From whence comes mental illness stigma?

BACKGROUND: This paper seeks to answer two fundamental questions: What is the basis of the current form of mental illness stigma? and Why do western cultures stereotype people with mental illness as dangerous, incompetent and blameful, rather than something else? MATERIAL AND DISCUSSION: We argue that a motivational model called system-justification offers several benefits for answering these questions. System-justification portrays stigma as a way of making sense of economic and political differences between the majority and stigmatized subgroups. We contrast system-justification with two cognitive models of stigma that seem to have strong support from naive psychology: mental illness stigma results as the normal perception of a group of people who are dangerous and/or blameworthy and there is a kernel of truth to the stigmatizing attitudes about people with mental illness. Although research supporting the latter two models is mixed, there are significant limitations to the models, as well as concerns that normal perception and kernel of truth might actually promote stigma. CONCLUSIONS: As an alternative, system-justification combines three paradigms that suggest its worthiness for future research: 1) a review of historical and economic forces that influence social phenomena; 2) the need of humankind to understand these forces and organize them into a unitary framework; and 3) the cognitive mechanisms that are essential for this comprehension. Implications of this model for stigma change are discussed.

Attitude to Health↗