Examining the Double-Edged Sword Effects of Lay Theories of Mental Health on Perceptions and Treatment of Others with Mental Health Problems

IF 1 4区心理学 Q3 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology Pub Date : 2022-08-01 DOI:10.1521/jscp.2022.41.4.299

Emily M. Erb, M. Busseri

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: We examined the implications of viewing mental health problems as changeable through personal effort (incremental lay theory), fixed due to genetics (entity lay theory), or manageable through perseverance on perceptions of others with mental health problems. METHOD: In two preregistered studies, samples of online American participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: manageable, incremental (changeable), entity (fixed), or control, and completed self-report measures of onset responsibility, offset efficacy, blame, stigma, willingness to help, and perceived likelihood of success of interventions aimed at helping those with mental health problems. RESULTS: In both studies, the manipulation had a significant effect on each outcome except willingness to help. Compared to the entity (fixed) condition, individuals in the incremental (changeable) condition reported significantly higher offset efficacy and perceived likelihood of success, but also higher onset responsibility and blame. Results for the manageable condition were similar to the incremental (changeable) condition but individuals in the manageable condition also reported lower responsibility (Study 1) as well as lower blame and stigma (Study 2). DISCUSSION: This work informs the ‘double-edged sword’ effects of holding incremental (changeable) or entity (fixed) lay theories concerning mental health problems. Findings also provide evidence that viewing mental health problems as manageable may reduce some of the negative and boost the positive implications associated with incremental (changeable) and entity (fixed) lay theories.

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检视世俗心理健康理论对他人心理健康问题认知与治疗的双刃剑效应

引言：我们研究了将心理健康问题视为可通过个人努力改变的（增量谎言理论）、因遗传学而固定的（实体谎言理论）或通过坚持不懈地看待其他有心理健康问题的人而可控的含义。方法：在两项预先注册的研究中，美国在线参与者的样本被随机分配到四种实验条件中的一种：可管理的、增量的（可变的）、实体的（固定的）或对照，并完成了发病责任、抵消疗效、指责、污名、帮助意愿，以及旨在帮助有心理健康问题的人的干预措施取得成功的可能性。结果：在这两项研究中，除了帮助意愿外，操作对每种结果都有显著影响。与实体（固定）条件相比，增量（可变）条件下的个体报告了显著更高的抵消疗效和感知成功的可能性，但也报告了更高的发病责任和指责。可控制条件的结果与增量（可变）条件相似，但处于可控制条件下的个体也报告了较低的责任（研究1）以及较低的指责和污名（研究2）。讨论：这项工作揭示了持有关于心理健康问题的增量（可变）或实体（固定）谎言理论的“双刃剑”效应。研究结果还提供了证据，表明将心理健康问题视为可控的可能会减少一些负面影响，并增强与增量（可变）和实体（固定）谎言理论相关的积极影响。

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来源期刊

Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology Multiple-

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： This journal is devoted to the application of theory and research from social psychology toward the better understanding of human adaptation and adjustment, including both the alleviation of psychological problems and distress (e.g., psychopathology) and the enhancement of psychological well-being among the psychologically healthy. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) traditionally defined psychopathology (e.g., depression), common emotional and behavioral problems in living (e.g., conflicts in close relationships), the enhancement of subjective well-being, and the processes of psychological change in everyday life (e.g., self-regulation) and professional settings (e.g., psychotherapy and counseling). Articles reporting the results of theory-driven empirical research are given priority, but theoretical articles, review articles, clinical case studies, and essays on professional issues are also welcome. Articles describing the development of new scales (personality or otherwise) or the revision of existing scales are not appropriate for this journal.