[Psychometric Evaluation of a Long and Short German Version of the Prejudice Towards People with Mental Illness Scale (PPMI-D)]

Associations of continuum beliefs with personality disorder stigma: correlational and experimental evidence

PURPOSE

A pervasive and deeply entrenched stigma of personality disorders exists. For other mental disorders, a large body of research suggests that continuum beliefs (i.e., the endorsement of continuum perspectives on mental health and psychopathology) stimulate more favorable attitudes toward affected persons. Additionally, mental disorder classification systems increasingly incorporate continuous personality disorder models. Yet, it is unclear how continuum beliefs are related to personality disorder stigma. This study evaluated the link of continuum beliefs with personality disorder stigma based on correlational and experimental data.

METHODS

A large general population sample (N = 848) completed self-report measures of continuum beliefs regarding personality disorders, desired social distance, and prejudice toward persons with personality disorders. Additionally, participants were randomly presented with information supporting a continuous or a dichotomous view of personality disorders.

RESULTS

Continuum beliefs were associated with lower desired social distance (r = - 0.19) and prejudice (r = - 0.22). Additionally, the brief continuum intervention was associated with increased continuum beliefs (d = 0.99) and decreased desired social distance (d = - 0.14) and prejudice (d = - 0.17). Finally, the intervention effects on desired social distance and prejudice were mediated by continuum beliefs.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that highlighting continuum views on personality disorders in public communication and interventions might reduce personality disorder stigma.

Prejudice toward people with borderline personality disorder: Application of the prejudice toward people with mental illness framework

BACKGROUND

People living with borderline personality disorder (BPD) face high levels of prejudice and discrimination from both the community and medical professionals, but no measure of prejudice toward people living with BPD exists.

AIMS

The current study aimed to adapt an existing Prejudice toward People with Mental Illness (PPMI) scale and investigate the structure and nomological network of prejudice toward people with BPD.

METHODS

The original 28-item PPMI scale was adapted to create the Prejudice toward People with Borderline Personality Disorder (PPBPD) scale. The scale and related measures were completed by three samples: 217 medical or clinical psychology students, 303 psychology undergraduate students, and 314 adults from the general population.

RESULTS

The original four-factor structure of the PPMI was supported in the PPBPD scale. Reported prejudice toward people with BPD was more negative than prejudice toward people with mental illness in general. The association of the PPBPD scale with antecedents and consequences was assessed, including social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, ethnocentrism, personality traits, empathy, prior contact, and feelings toward other stigmatized groups and mental illnesses.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided evidence for the validity and psychometric properties of the PPBPD scale across three samples and investigated anticipated relationships with theoretically related antecedents and consequences. This research will help improve understanding of the expressions underlying prejudice toward people with BPD.

Prejudice towards people with mental illness, schizophrenia, and depression among mental health professionals and the general population

The aim of the study was to measure and compare prejudice towards people with specific mental illnesses between mental health professionals and the general population, and examine personality, ideological, and attitudinal antecedents of prejudice. To do so, we also aimed to validate three shortened scales of prejudice. A sample of mental health professionals (N = 299) and a sample from the general population (N = 427) completed shortened versions of the Prejudice towards People with Mental Illness, Prejudice towards People with Schizophrenia, and Prejudice towards People with Depression scales. They also completed measures of validity criteria and demographics. The scales demonstrated construct validity in both samples. Although prejudice was highest towards people with schizophrenia and lowest towards people with depression, mental health professionals demonstrated significantly less prejudice overall than the general population. Prejudice was associated with higher social dominance orientation, right wing authoritarianism, ethnocentrism, conservatism, and generalized prejudice, and lower agreeableness, openness to experience, and contact. These antecedents of prejudice were better predictors than any demographic or profession-related variables examined. This study contributes increased knowledge of the structure and correlates of prejudice towards people with mental disorders. This knowledge should inform more nuanced and effective interventions, therapy, and training.

Public attitudes towards protecting the human rights of people with mental illness: a scoping review and data from a population trend study in Germany

The human rights of people with mental illness are constantly threatened. We conduct a scoping review showing how public attitudes towards protecting human rights have so far been examined and providing an overview of our present knowledge of these attitudes, and present novel findings from a trend study in Germany over nine years, reporting attitudes elicited in 2020 and examining whether these attitudes have changed since 2011. Few studies address attitudes towards human rights explicitly, but several studies contain single items on either first generation human rights, mainly concerning involuntary admission, or civil liberties like the right to vote, or second generation human rights, mainly with regard to funding for healthcare, but also for example regarding career choice. Recent data from Germany showed little improvement in attitudes towards protecting human rights over the last decade and particularly high support for restricting job opportunities for people with mental illness. Although generally, most restrictions were supported by a minority of respondents only, both our data and our scoping review indicate substantial support for several restrictions in several countries, showing that public attitudes pose a challenge to the human rights of persons with mental illness. We discuss possible lines of future research.

Prejudice Toward People With Mental Illness, Schizophrenia, and Depression: Measurement, Structure, and Antecedents

Objectives

Many existing measures of prejudiced attitudes toward people with mental illness have conceptual, theoretical, and psychometric problems. The recently created Prejudice toward People with Mental Illness (PPMI) scale has addressed many of these limitations, but prejudice toward people with different mental disorders may be unique and require further exploration. This study aimed to facilitate this exploration by adapting the PPMI to focus on schizophrenia and depression, and investigate the structure, distinctiveness, and the nomological network of prejudice toward people with these mental disorders.

Study Design

We adapted the original 28-item PPMI scale to create the Prejudice toward People with Schizophrenia (PPS) and Prejudice toward People with Depression (PPD) scales. There were 406 participants from the general population, who completed these scales and related measures.

Study Results

The original 4-factor structure (fear/avoidance, unpredictability, authoritarianism, and malevolence) was supported for each scale. Participants expressed the highest levels of prejudice toward people with schizophrenia, followed by prejudice toward people with mental illness, and lastly by prejudice toward people with depression. Analyses supported the proposed nomological network of prejudice, which involves theoretical antecedents of social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, empathy, personality traits, disgust sensitivity, and prior contact.

Conclusions

This research provides evidence for the validity and psychometric properties of the PPMI, PPS, and PPD scales, expanding our understanding of antecedents to prejudice toward people with different mental disorders. This research also shows that we gain more insight into prejudice when we use measures targeting specific disorders rather than mental illness in general.