Factors Associated with Attributions About Child Health Conditions and Social Distance Preference

Abstract

In order to better understand factors that account for the emergence and persistence of negative attitudes towards mental health problems, attributions about and stigma towards children's mental and physical illnesses were examined using National Stigma Study-Children data. Parent blame attributions were most strongly associated with attention deficit disorder, environmental causes with depression, and biology with asthma. Parent blame was more frequent for mental than physical health conditions. Child blame was associated with higher preferred social distance from the child, but no clear links were observed between social distance and attributions about genetic/biology, environment, or parent blame. Rurality was not significantly associated with attributions or social distance preference. Higher educational achievement was associated with increased endorsement of environmental stress factors and reduced odds of child blaming. The general public holds complex explanatory models of and nuanced responses to children's mental disorders that need further investigation, including effects on parents' and children's help-seeking.

Youth Perceptions of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Barriers to Treatment

“…The fact that these children have an understanding that people think that they are "bad," "stupid," and unable to learn speaks to the need for improved education and training for teachers, peers, parents, and the general public overall. This finding is supported by results of several studies that suggest that there is a strong negative stigma attached to ADHD (Martin et al, 2007;Coleman et al, 2009;Harris et al, 1992;Koro-Ljungberg & Bussing, 2009;Bussing, Koro-Ljungberg, Gary, Mason, & Garvan, 2009;Singh, 2004;dosReis et al, 2010;Mukolo & Heflinger, 2011); however, our study gives a specific voice to youth with ADHD regarding the feelings and experiences they have in response to living with a stigmatized disorder.…”

Public Stigma of Mental Illness in the United States: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Vignette methodologies in which respondents were randomly assigned to hear descriptions of individuals with common mental disorders (e.g., major depression, ADHD) were used in 23 articles to assess different dimensions of stigma (e.g., recognition, causes). Twenty-six articles (Anglin et al 2006, 2008; Blumner and Marcus 2009; Boyd et al 2010; Corrigan and Watson 2007; Corrigan et al 2009; Croghan et al 2003; Diala et al 2000; Diala et al 2001; Gonzalez et al 2005, 2009; Kuppin and Carpiano 2006; Leaf et al 1987; Link et al 1999; Martin et al 2000; Mojtabai 2007, 2009; Pescosolido et al 1999, 2010; Phelan et al 2000, 2006; Schnittker et al 2000; Shim et al 2009; Swindle et al 2000; Whaley 1997; Wirth and Bodenhausen 2009) surveyed adults about perceptions of mental illness among adults, seven (Martin et al 2007; McLeod et al 2004, 2007; Mukolo and Heflinger 2011; Pescosolido et al 2007a, b, 2008) surveyed adults about perceptions of mental illness among children, two (Coleman et al 2009; Walker et al 2008) surveyed children about perceptions of mental illness among children, and one (Perry et al 2007) compared adults’ perceptions of mental illness among adults and children.…”

Treating the Child or Syndrome: Does Context Matter for Treatment Decisions for Antisocially Behaving Youth?

“…As mental health researchers have recognized the value of experimental control to validate and build on findings of traditional survey and ethnographic methods, the use of realistic case vignettes to study mental health problems among children has grown in both national samples (Pottick et al 2007;Pescosolido et al 2008) and regional and local ones (Chavez et al 2010;Mukolo and Heflinger 2011). However, such analogue methods are only proxies for what actually occurs in clinical practice situations, though they provide powerful ways of discovering relationships that may not otherwise be readily detectable.…”