Automatically activated shame reactions and perceived legitimacy of discrimination: A longitudinal study among people with mental illness.
Perceived legitimacy of discrimination shapes reactions to mental illness stigma among stigmatized individuals. We assessed deliberately endorsed versus automatic shame-related reactions to mental illness as predictors of change in perceived legitimacy of discrimination over six months among 75 people with mental illness. Automatically activated shame-related associations with mental illness were measured using the Brief Implicit Association Test, deliberately endorsed beliefs via self-report. Controlling for depression and perceived stigma, stronger baseline automatic shame-related associations, but not deliberately endorsed beliefs, predicted higher perceived legitimacy of discrimination after six months. Automatically activated shame reactions may increase vulnerability to mental illness stigma.
Rüsch
Nicolas
N
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA. nicolas.ruesch@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Todd
Andrew R
AR
Bodenhausen
Galen V
GV
Olschewski
Manfred
M
Corrigan
Patrick W
PW
D000328:Adult; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012649:Self Concept; D012752:Shame; D013240:Stereotyping