Patrick Corrigan Discusses the Stigma of Mental Illness
Emerging Research Front Commentary, August 2010
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Article: An attribution model of public discrimination towards persons with mental illness
Authors: Corrigan, P;Markowitz, FE;Watson,
A;Rowan, D;Kubiak, MA |
Patrick Corrigan talks with ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about this month's Emerging Research Front paper in the field of Social Sciences, general.
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited? Does it describe a new discovery, methodology,
or synthesis of knowledge?
The paper addressed what has become a huge public health priority in the US, and in much of the rest of the world too; namely, how the stigma of mental illness hinders the lives of people with serious psychiatric disorders. Much of the previous research was descriptive, counting, for example, the number of people who stigmatize depression.
The JHSB paper is one of the first to carefully and comprehensively assess theoretical models of stigma. In particular, we showed that members of the general population who view mental illness as dangerous, will fear them and want to avoid them. Alternatively, when the population views people with mental illness as to blame for their disorder, become angry with this group and do not want to help them.
Would you summarize the significance of your paper
in layman's terms?
"One of the major goals of people with serious mental illnesses is to overcome their illness so they can get back to work or living on their own."
As much as two thirds of people with serious mental illnesses like major depression will NOT seek out treatment or, if so, will drop out prematurely. The big reason: people don’t go to treatment so they are not stigmatized with labels like "psych patient."
Or, from a different angle…
One of the major goals of people with serious mental illnesses is to overcome their illness so they can get back to work or living on their own. These goals are thwarted, however, by stigma; by the employer who believes the stigma and does not want to hire people with mental illness because they are dangerous, or the landlord who buys into the stereotypes and does not want to rent to them.
How did you become involved in this research, and
how would you describe the particular challenges, setbacks, and
successes that you've encountered along the way?
I am professionally a licensed clinical psychologist and have spent much of my career setting up psychiatric rehabilitation programs helping people find ways to address their symptoms and disabilities. In the process, I find many people who are "rehabilitated" but cannot get back to work or living independently because of the stigmatizing employer and landlord.
My sights changed a bit as a result. I expanded beyond rehabilitation programs attempting to "fix" people with psychiatric disabilities to developing change programs meant to "fix" the public. These programs are most effective when targeted: target key groups who have sway over the life opportunities of people with serious mental illness; employers and landlords for sure but also primary care providers, police officers, teachers, legislators, and others in positions of power.
Anti-stigma programs are also more successful when local; not focusing on all Americans but local groups within the country: employers in Chicago or even better yet, employers in Woodlawn, a neighborhood in Chicago with relatively homogeneous economic and political interests.
Where do you see your research leading in the
future? Do you foresee any social or political
implications for your research?
For more than a century, advocates have identified the stigma of mental illness as primary in helping citizens with serious mental illness regain a positive place in society. Interest in this regard has ramped up significantly in the last decade. I personally have worked with governments in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, and South America to develop effective anti-stigma programs.
The US government is now acting with all 50 states with similar goals in
mind. All these efforts need research about what is stigma and, more
importantly, how to confront it.
Patrick Corrigan, PsyD
Associate Dean of Psychology Research
Distinguished Professor
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL, USA
KEYWORDS: ATTRIBUTION MODEL, PUBLIC DISCRIMINATION, MENTAL ILLNESS, OUTPATIENT COMMITMENT, LIFE SATISFACTION, CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS, COMMUNITY ATTITUDES, SOCIAL REJECTION, STIGMA, STEREOTYPES, ILL, BEHAVIOR, PREJUDICE.