Research suggests that empathy may reduce stigma, while adult attachment style may influence empathy. We examined stigma toward schizophrenia and other psychosocial or health concerns. We created vignettes describing a person displaying behavioral problems with different reasons offered for the behavior. Vignettes were followed by stigma items. Participants (N = 347) also completed empathy and adult attachment scales. The most stigma was found with a homelessness vignette, and the least with an Alzheimer's disease vignette. No significant differences in stigma were found between bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or “severe psychological disorder” vignettes. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated a significant main effect for empathy. Interaction terms for empathy and adult attachment did not explain a significant proportion of stigma variance. Results are discussed in terms of mainstream conceptions of these conditions.
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