Stereotype content of people with acquired brain injury: Warm but incompetent

Recovery after traumatic brain injury: An integrative review of the role of social factors on postinjury outcomes

This research is an integrative review of the literature on social factors in TBI outcomes. It examines how such factors have been framed in TBI models, the social experience of people post-injury, and the evidence for effective social interventions. Evidence suggests that even when physical functioning has improved after injury, there is a lingering social distress that leaves individuals isolated and functionally impaired. A novel hypothesis is proposed to explain why these difficulties persist. This hypothesis draws from existing biopsychosocial models of TBI recovery, including those prominent in neuropsychology. It is argued that the social component of several TBI outcome models is too narrowly defined. This potentially has the effect of focusing efforts on the individual and their social skills or abilities as opposed to the seeking improvements at the level of the community. Evidence for and against this hypothesis is considered. This evaluation supports the idea that TBI outcomes are subject to a wider range of post injury social factors than is typically recognized, and that these factors are dynamic rather than static. Inspired by this hypothesis, this review proposes that social interventions for TBI should be adjusted to suit the stage of recovery.

A 'Network of Understanding and Compassion': A Qualitative Study of Survivor Perspectives on Unmet Needs After Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Regional Communities

OBJECTIVE

This qualitative study aimed to identify the service and support needs of people with a recent history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) living in the community.

METHODS

A postal survey was sent to 662 people 6-18 months after hospital admission for a mild-to-severe TBI. The survey included an open-ended item ('wish-basket') for collecting ideas about important unmet needs.

RESULTS

Responses from 53 individuals were coded and processed using thematic analysis. Five themes (n = 39) were identified, three of which were related to personal needs. These personal wishes were about being symptom-free, independent and emotionally supported by, and connected to, loved ones. The remaining themes were about the wished-for changes to the health system and society, such as wishing for health care continuity (as opposed to being abandoned), and for greater understanding and support by society.

CONCLUSIONS

There is scope to improve the services and support for people living with TBI in the community. This includes reconsidering the way that discharge occurs, addressing the personal needs that remain when living in the community and promoting greater social awareness of TBI to counteract disadvantage.

The stereotype content model and disabilities

Using the stereotype content model and behavior from intergroup affect and stereotypes map model, we examined whether stereotype content directed toward specific disabilities conforms to the high warmth/low competence stereotype associated with "disabled people" or whether individual disabilities, or clusters, would elicit different stereotypes. Participants from the USA rated 12 disabilities on perceived warmth, competence, courage, emotions and behavioral tendencies. All disabilities, except schizophrenia and disability, were rated higher in warmth than competence. Four clusters emerged, varying on relative warmth, competence and courage. Pity was the highest rated emotion, and negative behavioral intentions were generally low. Perceived warmth predicted positive behavioral intentions, but mean ratings suggest actual help might be minimal. Results suggest some uniformity in stereotypes of different disabilities, but some variation in stereotypes indicates the need for targeted interventions to reduce prejudice and discrimination against disabled people.

Implicit and Explicit Attitudes of Employers Toward Hiring People Who Have Experienced Depression

Purpose Depression is the most common mental disorder worldwide, yet many individuals with this disorder still face labor market marginalization. To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore both implicit and explicit attitudes of human resources directors/employers regarding potential employees who have experienced depression. Methods 219 human resources directors/employers answered a semi-structured interview, as well as self-report questionnaires, assessing their implicit and explicit attitudes on hiring people who have experienced depression. Explicit attitudes were assessed with self-report measures (questionnaire), whereas implicit attitudes were measured by qualitatively rating automatic mental associations (free associations). Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted on implicit and explicit attitudes. Results For implicit attitudes, both stereotypes and normalization attitudes were mentioned by employers. In order to ensure the validity of the explicit attitudes measure, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and revealed that employers and HR's attitudes were, as expected, described by the 12 items spread out on three conceptual dimensions-Stereotypes, Organizational Burden, and Normalization, with satisfactory alpha coefficients for all subscales. ANOVA results showed that implicit and explicit attitudes of employers were not related. Finally, ANOVA results on employers' implicit attitudes showed that hiring apprehensions regarding depression were higher for employers depicting more stereotypes, whereas regression analysis on explicit attitudes showed that Organizational Burden and Normalization were only the significant predictors of employers' hiring apprehensions. Conclusion The results were consistent with previous findings from the general population underlying the ambivalence of attitudes associated with depression. Indeed, stereotypes, organizational burden, and normalization attitudes appear as distinct and complementary facets of depression stigma at work. We suggest anti-stigma training targeting employers' hiring apprehensions and encompassing both explicit and implicit attitudes regarding depression.

Using the Semantic Differential Technique to Assess Stereotypes toward Individuals with Disabilities: The Relevance of Warmth and Competence

This study analyzes social perceptions towards groups with different types of disability, as well as the relationship between the judgments towards these groups, oneself and other significant individuals. The assessment was carried out using a Semantic Differential scale completed by181 participants. Results supported the Stereotype Content Model, as the different groups with disabilities were perceived in a more uniform way than those who did not share this label, and people with intellectual disability elicited paternalistic feelings. The results also support a two-factor model to explore the content of the stereotypes. Understanding the factors that contribute to the formation of social judgments is key to the implementation of actions that modify stereotypes and prejudices and promote equity.