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Explicit and Implicit Stigma of Mental Illness as Predictors of the Recovery Attitudes of Assertive Community Treatment Practitioners.

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: While explicit negative stereotypes of mental illness are well established as barriers to recovery, implicit attitudes also may negatively impact outcomes. The current study is unique in its focus on both explicit and implicit stigma as predictors of recovery attitudes of mental health practitioners. METHOD: Assertive Community Treatment practitioners (n = 154) from 55 teams completed online measures of stigma, recovery attitudes, and an Implicit Association Test (IAT). RESULTS: Three of four explicit stigma variables (perceptions of blameworthiness, helplessness, and dangerousness) and all three implicit stigma variables were associated with lower recovery attitudes. In a multivariate, hierarchical model, however, implicit stigma did not explain additional variance in recovery attitudes. In the overall model, perceptions of dangerousness and implicitly associating mental illness with "bad" were significant individual predictors of lower recovery attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrates a need for interventions to lower explicit stigma, particularly perceptions of dangerousness, to increase mental health providers' expectations for recovery. The extent to which implicit and explicit stigma differentially predict outcomes, including recovery attitudes, needs further research.

Source: PubMed

Authors: Laura G Stull, Haley McConnell, John McGrew, Michelle P Salyers

Institutions: Anderson University - Indiana, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

Language: English

Topic: Mental Health Treatment and Access

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health

Award: Recovery Oriented Assertive Community Treatment