Emotional responses, perceptions of functional capabilities, and perceived aggression based on mentions of mental health disorders
Start Date
April 2025
Location
3rd floor - Library
Abstract
Public perceptions of mental illness are often shaped by fear and misinformation. In 2018, over 60% of respondents perceived people with schizophrenia as dangerous, with lower but still notable concern for those with depression or even everyday struggles (Pescosolido, 2019).The current study examines how mentions of mental illness affect public perception. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions of a modified police blotter describing an arrest for Disorderly Conduct- Public Intoxication: one with no mention of mental illness (control), one referencing mental illness generally (generic), and one specifying schizophrenia (specific). Participants then completed a 10-item Likert scale for emotional response, an 8-item functional ability scale (Penn et al., 1994), and a 19-item Perceived Aggression Scale (Patel & Hope, 1992). Three one-way ANOVAs revealed no statistically significant effects: emotional response (p=.300), perceived functional capabilities (p=.072), and perceived aggression (p=.396). Despite nonsignificant results, the study contributes to understanding how mental illness labels influence stigma and public perception.
Emotional responses, perceptions of functional capabilities, and perceived aggression based on mentions of mental health disorders
3rd floor - Library
Public perceptions of mental illness are often shaped by fear and misinformation. In 2018, over 60% of respondents perceived people with schizophrenia as dangerous, with lower but still notable concern for those with depression or even everyday struggles (Pescosolido, 2019).The current study examines how mentions of mental illness affect public perception. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions of a modified police blotter describing an arrest for Disorderly Conduct- Public Intoxication: one with no mention of mental illness (control), one referencing mental illness generally (generic), and one specifying schizophrenia (specific). Participants then completed a 10-item Likert scale for emotional response, an 8-item functional ability scale (Penn et al., 1994), and a 19-item Perceived Aggression Scale (Patel & Hope, 1992). Three one-way ANOVAs revealed no statistically significant effects: emotional response (p=.300), perceived functional capabilities (p=.072), and perceived aggression (p=.396). Despite nonsignificant results, the study contributes to understanding how mental illness labels influence stigma and public perception.
