Genetic attributions and mental illness diagnosis: effects on perceptions of danger, social distance, and real helping decisions.
Genetic essentialism suggests that beliefs in genetic causes of mental illness will inflate a desire for social distance from affected individuals, regardless of specific disorder. However, genetic contingency theory predicts that genetic attributions will lead to an increased desire for social distance only from persons with disorders who are perceived as dangerous.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the interactive effect of diagnosis and attribution on social distance and actual helping decisions across disorders.


METHODS
Undergraduate students (n = 149) were randomly assigned to read one of the six vignettes depicting a person affected by one of the three disorders (i.e., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression) with either a genetic or environmental causal attribution for disorder. Participants completed measures of perceived dangerousness, social distance, empathic concern, familiarity with mental illness, and actual helping decisions.


RESULTS
When provided with genetic attributions, participants' desire for social distance was greater for targets with schizophrenia relative to targets with depression or bipolar disorder. This effect was mediated by perceived dangerousness. The indirect effect of diagnosis on helping decisions, through social distance, was significant within the genetic attribution condition.


CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with genetic contingency theory, genetic attributions for schizophrenia, but not affective disorders, lead to greater desire for social distance via greater perceived dangerousness. Further, results suggest that genetic attributions decrease the likelihood of helping people with schizophrenia, but have no effect on the likelihood of helping people with affective disorders. These effects are partially accounted for by desired social distance from people with schizophrenia.
Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3415, 1000 E. University Ave, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA.
Aaron A
AA
Lee
Sean M
SM
Laurent
Thomas L
TL
Wykes
Katherine A
KA
Kitchen Andren
Katelynn A
KA
Bourassa
Christine L
CL
McKibbin
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D012929:Psychological Distance; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012938:Social Perception