The impact of causal beliefs on stigma
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The impact of biogenetic vs. psychosocial explanations of psychosis on stigma in a clinical sample of people with experience of psychosis.
IRAS ID
187024
Contact name
Lucy Carter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This research study aims to investigate if what individuals believe has caused their experiences influences internalised and externalised stigma in people who have experience of psychosis.
The stigma associated with mental health problems remains a significant barrier to receiving help as well as significantly reducing the quality of life for many people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. Furthermore, psychosis is often considered to be one of the most stigmatized mental health problems, despite various national health campaigns that have aimed to reduce this. Previous research has found a relationship between causal beliefs and attitudes towards people who have psychosis, in samples of the general public, specifically that biological causal models may increase stigma. This study aims to explore whether this relationship exists in a clinical sample using an experimental design. We aim to manipulate the causal beliefs of individuals who have experience of psychosis and investigate the subsequent impact on attitudes towards themselves and others with psychosis. This could potentially have important implications on the way that clinicians discuss causal models with clients, particularly if specific explanations increase the likelihood of internalised stigma within this group.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0835
Date of REC Opinion
13 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion