Social perceptions and the stigmatization towards fifteen mental illnesses in France: a preliminary study on the role of vital force and burden.

Introduction: This study examined social perceptions and rejection towards fifteen mental illnesses, as well as a preliminary test of the SUBAR model, that hypothesized perceptions of both vital forces and burden would be negatively and positively related to social rejection, respectively. Methods: Using an online survey with participants from France (n = 952), social rejection was assessed using a feeling thermometer and a social distance scale, while social perceptions were measured using visual analog scales. Results: A stigma map for these different disorders is drawn up, revealing the social perceptions and levels of stigmatization specific to certain mental illnesses. Controlling for relevant social perceptions (i.e., danger, warmth, competence), we found that perception of burden was positively and significantly associated to social distance and negative feeling for 73% and 67% of mental illnesses, respectively. The perception of vital force was negatively and significantly related to social distance and negative feeling for 87% and 20% of mental illnesses, respectively. The change in R2 between model 1 (i.e. perception of danger, warmth, competence) and model 2 (i.e. model 1 + perceptions of vital force and burden) significantly improved in 100% of cases for social distance and 67% of cases for negative feeling. Conclusion: These preliminary data provide support for the SUBAR model and call for further investigations to better understand the social rejection of people with mental illnesses.

Increasing resiliency and reducing mental illness stigma in post-secondary students: A meta-analytic evaluation of the inquiring mind program.

Objective: Worsening student mental health, along with more complex mental illness presentation and increased access to campus mental health services, has led to a mental health "crisis" on campuses. One way to address student mental health needs may be through mental health programs which have been found to increase resiliency and help-seeking, and reduce stigma. Participants: The effectiveness of The Inquiring Mind (TIM), a mental health promotion and mental illness stigma reduction program, was examined in 810 students from 16 Canadian post-secondary institutions. Methods and Results: Using a meta-analytic approach, TIM improved resiliency and decreased stigmatizing attitudes from pre to post, with medium effect sizes (d > .50). Analyses with those that completed the follow-up (about one-third of the sample) showed that effects were mostly retained at three months. Other outcomes also point to the program's effectiveness. Conclusion: TIM appears to be an effective program for post-secondary students. However, additional research, including randomized control trials, is needed to address study limitations.

The Influence of Media on the Stigma of Suicide when a Postsecondary Student Dies by Suicide.

This study investigated whether media articles from a postsecondary institution could influence students' stigma toward suicide after a student dies by suicide. Undergraduate participants (N = 425) read a fictitious scenario about a student suicide and were randomly assigned to a control article (no mention of the suicide) or one of three intervention articles that acknowledged the suicide and included a discussion with a psychologist, a friend of the decedent, or a suicide survivor. The stigma toward suicide survivors, particularly stereotypes, was significantly less after the three intervention articles compared to the control. No differences were found between the intervention articles or regarding the stigma toward suicide decedents. Reduced stigma toward survivors indicates that acknowledging a suicide, when possible, should be considered.

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.

Parent-for-child mask behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and the United States: An investigation of attitudes, norms, and perceived control using the theory of planned behavior.

Face masks continue to be a necessity until a large proportion of the population, including children, receive immunizations for COVID-19. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental attitudes and beliefs about masks and parent-for-child mask behavior using the Theory of Planned Behavior. We administered a survey in August 2020 to parents of school-aged children residing in the United States and Canada. Measures included sociodemographic variables for the parent and child, attitudes, norms, perceived control over children's mask use, intentions and enforcement of mask wearing among children (also titled "parent-for-child mask behavior"). Data were analyzed using structural equation modelling. We collected data from 866 parents and 43.5% had children with pre-existing conditions (e.g., allergies, anxiety, impulsivity, skin sensitivity, asthma) that made extended mask wearing difficult, as per parent's report. Among the full sample, negative attitudes (ß = -0.20, p = .006), norms (ß = 0.41, p = .002), and perceived control (ß = 0.33, p = .006) predicted intentions. Norms (ß = 0.50, p = .004) and intentions (ß = 0.28, p = .003) also predicted parent-for-child mask use, while attitudes and perceived control did not. Intentions mediated the associations between attitudes, norms, perceived control, respectively, and mask behavior. Subgroup analyses revealed intentions as the key predictor of parent-for-child mask use among children with pre-conditions and norms as the key predictor among children without pre-conditions (i.e. healthy). Future public health messaging should target parental intentions, attitudes, norms, and perceived control about children's masks wearing.