Impact of changing the Japanese term for "schizophrenia" for reasons of stereotypical beliefs of schizophrenia in Japanese youth.
The old term for schizophrenia, "Seishin-Bunretsu-Byo" (Mind-Split Disease), has been replaced by "Togo-Shitcho-Sho" (Integration Disorder) in Japan. Stigma research requiring individuals to report personal beliefs is useful but is subject to social desirability bias. Using the Implicit Association Test, a measurement designed to minimize this bias, we assessed the impact of this renaming on the stereotype of schizophrenia held by a younger generation. The old term was strongly associated with "criminal", and this association became significantly weaker with the new term. The strategy of renaming holds considerable promise for tempering negative bias toward this disorder in Japan.
Takahashi
Hidehiko
H
Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, Japan. hidehiko@nirs.go.jp
Ideno
Takashi
T
Okubo
Shigetaka
S
Matsui
Hiroshi
H
Takemura
Kazuhisa
K
Matsuura
Masato
M
Kato
Motoichiro
M
Okubo
Yoshiro
Y
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D011584:Psychology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D055815:Young Adult