Relationship of Christian Beliefs to Attitudes Toward People With Mental Illness

Abstract

This study assessed the influence of Christian beliefs on attitudes toward people with mental illness. Participants (N=204) provided demographic information and completed the Christian Orthodoxy Scale, the Religious Fundamentalism Scale, and the Attitudes to Mental Illness Questionnaire. Participants read vignettes of a person with a mental illness (schizophrenia), a general medical illness (diabetes), and a control condition (practicing Christian) and rated them on five criteria representing stigmatizing attitudes. The data were analyzed by sequential multiple regression. Religious fundamentalism, but not Christian orthodoxy, was a significant predictor of stigmatizing attitudes toward a person with mental illness. Consistent with past research, neither religious fundamentalism nor Christian orthodoxy were significant predictors of stigmatizing attitudes toward a general medical illness. As predicted, both religious fundamentalism and Christian orthodoxy were significant predictors of positive attitudes toward a practicing Christian. Sensitivity and discourse regarding stigmatization and deeply held fundamental religious beliefs are needed among mental health professionals, religious leaders, and laypersons.

Cambridge Psycholinguistic Inventory of Christian Beliefs: A registered report of construct validity, internal consistency and test–retest reliability

“…To assess the construct validity of the averaged Religiosity score of the CPICB, the scores were correlated with the summed scores of the Christian Orthodoxy Scale (Fullerton & Hunsberger, 1982 ), which is a widely used scale with strong psychometric properties that assesses orthodoxy of Christian beliefs (Adams et al, 2018 ; Altemeyer & Hunsberger, 1992 ; Johnson et al, 1993 ; Lupfer et al, 1988 ; Pancer et al, 1995 ; Sanders et al, 2015 ; Truelove & Joireman, 2009 ). In the standard coding, the Christian Orthodoxy Scale summed scores range from 24 to 168, with 96 marking the centre point that separates Christian and Atheist responses.…”

Hospitality Towards People with Mental Illness in the Church: a Cross-cultural Qualitative Study

“…More broadly, the religious context can sometimes foster stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination towards people with mental illness. For instance, religious fundamentalism has been found to be positively associated with stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illness among college students at a secular university who largely self-identified as Christian (Adams et al, 2018). These patterns can culminate in negative experiences for those with mental illness.…”

Cambridge Psycholinguistic Inventory of Christian Beliefs: A Registered Report of Construct Validity, Internal Consistency and Test-Retest Reliability

“…To assess the construct validity of the averaged Religiosity score of the CPICB, the scores were correlated with the summed scores of the Christian Orthodoxy Scale (Fullerton & Hunsberger, 1982), which is a widely used scale with strong psychometric properties that assesses orthodoxy of Christian beliefs (Adams et al, 2018;Altemeyer & Hunsberger, 1992;Johnson et al, 1993;Lupfer et al, 1988;Pancer, 1995;Sanders et al, 2015;Truelove & Joireman, 2009). In the standard coding, the Christian Orthodoxy Scale summed scores range from 24 to 168, with 96 marking the center point that separates Christian and Atheist responses.…”