title: Examining differences in the stigma of depression and schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although there is evidence of greater stigmatization of schizophrenia in comparison to depression, there has been little investigation of the reasons for this difference.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the role of beliefs about depression and schizophrenia in mediating the difference in preferred social distance towards individuals with these two disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Study I, 200 undergraduates completed questionnaires concerning beliefs about depression or schizophrenia and willingness to interact with an individual who has one of the two disorders. In Study II, 103 members of a community service club completed similar measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both samples, beliefs about likely appropriateness of social behaviour showed evidence of mediating differences in preferred level of social distance. In addition, differences in perceived danger may have been a mediator for the undergraduate sample and perceived prognosis for the service club respondents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Beliefs about social appropriateness, danger and prognosis, which have implications for likely costs and benefits of interaction, are more likely to mediate differences in social distance towards the disorders than beliefs concerning causation or continuity with normal experience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, Canada. rnorman@uwo.ca
authors.forename: Ross M G
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Windell
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manchanda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012919:Social Behavior; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires