Do words matter? The role of terminology and causal attributions in prejudice towards people with mental health conditions
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Mental health professionals have stressed the importance of terminology used to describe people with mental health conditions (MHCs) and its stigmatizing outcomes. Little research, however, has investigated the underlying processes by which terminology affects prejudice. AIMS: To investigate theoretical mechanisms by which the terms "mental illness," "psychological problem," and "mental disorder" influence prejudice via causal attributions. METHODS: An online experiment randomly assigned 765 U.S. participants from the general population to one of three conditions. Participants completed measures of hereditary/biological and social/stress attributions of MHCs and one of three 28-item measures of prejudice, which differed only in the terminology used to describe MHCs. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure of prejudice (Fear/Avoidance, Unpredictability, Authoritarianism, and Malevolence) for each measure. Although terminology did not directly affect prejudice, both hereditary/biological and social/stress attributions significantly decreased it. Mediation analyses demonstrated indirect effects of terminology on prejudice via causal attributions, with the term "mental illness" increasing it via reduced social/stress attributions but decreasing it via increased hereditary/biological attributions. CONCLUSIONS: The results illustrate complex relationships between terminology, causal attributions, and prejudice, and are largely consistent with the mixed-blessings model. The study contributes to discussions about terminology suited for public discourse and prejudice-reduction campaigns.
Source: Journal of Mental Health
Institution: Australian National University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7140099397