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Date of Award
5-2025
Document Type
Restricted Thesis: Campus only access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Dance
First Advisor
Dr. Cindy Bukach
Second Advisor
Dr. Allan Collins
Third Advisor
Brianna Charlton
Abstract
Introduction: Stigma is a persistent issue for many health conditions Œ especially mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. The current study aimed to empirically assess the theory proposed by Ben-Zeev et al. (2010) and Corrigan (2007) regarding the effect of a categorical versus dimensional diagnostic model on mental health stigma. Additionally, we examined whether beliefs about perceived groupness, homogeneity of group membership, and stability of group descriptors mediate this interaction. Methods: U.S. residents (N=292) were recruited to participate in an online study. Participants were randomly assigned to a categorical or dimensional condition and made symptom presentation ratings for three populations: the general population, three individual targets, and a target group (i.e., most people diagnosed with the disorder). Results: There was no main effect of diagnostic model on stigma. Therefore, conditions to test a mediation effect of groupness, homogeneity, and stability were not met. Beliefs on groupness and homogeneity were more salient for the target group compared to the individual targets, suggesting that stigma may impact these populations differently. Moreover, stigma scores were significantly lower for depression compared to schizophrenia. Conclusions: These findings do not provide support for the theories proposed by Ben-Zeev et al. (2010) and Corrigan (2007) using the current manipulation. Future exploratory analyses are needed to examine the effect participants™ personal views and experiences with mental disorders have on stigma.
Recommended Citation
Benedetti, Zachary, "Impact of Categorical versus Dimensional Diagnoses on Mental Health Stigma" (2025). Honors Theses. 1803.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1803
