dc.contributor.author
Haouchet, Sonja
dc.contributor.author
Harder, Carolin
dc.contributor.author
Müller, Sabine
dc.date.accessioned
2022-02-03T11:57:41Z
dc.date.available
2022-02-03T11:57:41Z
dc.identifier.uri
https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/33867
dc.identifier.uri
http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-33586
dc.description.abstract
Background: Previous research has shown that the endorsement of biogenetic causal explanations of schizophrenia is associated with stronger stigmatizing attitudes against people with schizophrenia than the endorsement of psychosocial explanations. However, little is known about whether different biogenetic causal explanation beliefs differentially affect stigmatizing attitudes. This is particularly valid for the endorsement of the mild encephalitis hypothesis of schizophrenia.
Aim: To examine to what extent different causal explanations of schizophrenia influence the desire for social distance from persons with schizophrenia.
Methods: A study with a prospective, quasi-experimental design was carried out with students in Germany (N = 333). A case vignette depicting a person with schizophrenia-typical symptoms was presented, and a social distance scale (SDS) was used to measure the stigmatizing attitude against the person described. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups receiving different causal explanations of schizophrenia (genetic, mild encephalitis hypothesis, or psychosocial) without treatment information.
Results: A one-way ANOVA showed that the mean SDS was lowest in the group with the mild encephalitis hypothesis explanation, followed by the genetic explanation group, and highest in the psychosocial explanation group. However, the differences between the groups were small and not significant. A subanalysis revealed a significant interaction between gender and causal explanation. Women showed a significantly lower desire for social distance than men when receiving the mild encephalitis hypothesis. Neither the study discipline nor the number of semesters of study had significant effects on the mean SDS. The differences between the mean SDS scores for the different items were much bigger than the differences for the different causal explanations. Regardless of the causal explanation, the extent of the desired social distance depends strongly on social proximity.
Conclusion: The present study fits into previous research, which has found that biogenetic beliefs were either associated with more social distance or did not yield a statistically significant association. Although we found a small gender-specific effect of the endorsement of the mild encephalitis hypothesis, we do not recommend gender-specific anti-stigmatization campaigns because they might rightly raise suspicions of dishonesty and manipulation. Rather we support recovery-oriented messages focusing on effective treatments.
en
dc.rights.uri
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject
stigmatization
en
dc.subject
social distance
en
dc.subject
schizophrenia
en
dc.subject
mild encephalitis hypothesis
en
dc.subject
genetic essentialism
en
dc.subject
attribution theory
en
dc.subject
causal beliefs
en
dc.subject.ddc
600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::610 Medizin und Gesundheit
dc.title
Comparison of the Effects of a Genetic, a Mild Encephalitis, and a Psychosocial Causal Explanation of Schizophrenia on Stigmatizing Attitudes – a Pilot Study With a Quasi-Experimental Design
dc.type
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.articlenumber
745124
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.doi
10.3389/fpsyt.2021.745124
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitle
Frontiers in Psychiatry
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublishername
Frontiers Media SA
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume
12
refubium.affiliation
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
refubium.resourceType.isindependentpub
no
dcterms.accessRights.openaire
open access
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.pmid
34616325
dcterms.isPartOf.eissn
1664-0640