How and when does mental illness stigma impact treatment seeking? Longitudinal examination of relationships between anticipated and internalized stigma, symptom severity, and mental health service use

Although many studies have examined the relationship between stigma and treatment seeking (e.g., Clement et al., 2015; Corrigan, 2004; Vogel and Wade, 2009), there is little consensus across studies with respect to how stigma impacts treatment seeking. Indeed, this relationship appears to depend on the stigma mechanism under investigation (Clement et al., 2015). Further complicating the picture is that most of these studies have been cross-sectional, limiting conclusions about causality. Additionally, researchers have not yet examined how symptom severity may interact with different stigma mechanisms to impact treatment seeking.

Source: Psychiatry Research - June 19, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Annie B Fox, Brian N. Smith, Vogt Dawne Source Type: research