Responses to Mental Health Stigma Questions: The Importance of Social Desirability and Data Collection Method

Abstract

Objective:To evaluate the impact on the general public of England's Time to Change program to reduce mental health-related stigma and discrimination using newly developed measures of knowledge and intended behaviour regarding people with mental health problems, and an established attitudes scale, and to investigate whether social desirability affects responses to the new measures and test whether this varies according to data collection method. Method:The Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS) and Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale (RIBS) were administered together with the 13-item version of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale to 2 samples (each n = 196) drawn from the Time to Change mass media campaign target group; one group was interviewed face to face, while the other completed the measures as an online survey. Results:After controlling for other covariates, interaction terms between collection method and social desirability were positive for each instrument. The social desirability score was associated with the RIBS score in the face-to-face group only (β = 0.35, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.57), but not with the MAKS score in either group; however, MAKS scores were more likely to be positive when data were collected face to face (β = 1.53, 95% CI 0.74 to 2.32). Conclusions:Behavioural intentions toward people with mental health problems may be better assessed using online self-complete methods than in-person interviews. The effect of face-to-face interviewing on knowledge requires further investigation. W W WObjectif : Évaluer l'effet sur le grand public du programme Time to Change d'Angleterre visant à réduire la stigmatisation et la discrimination liées à la santé mentale à l'aide de mesures nouvellement élaborées des connaissances et des comportements intentionnels à l'égard des personnes souffrant de problèmes de santé mentale, et d'une échelle connue des attitudes ; et rechercher si la désirabilité sociale affecte les réponses aux nouvelles mesures et vérifier si cela varie selon la méthode de collecte de données.Méthode : Le questionnaire de connaissances en santé mentale (MAKS) et l'échelle d'évaluation des comportements intentionnels et rapportés (RIBS) ont été administrés conjointement avec la version en 13 items de l'échelle de désirabilité sociale de Marlowe-Crowne à 2 échantillons (n = 196 pour chacun) tirés du groupe cible de la campagne dans les médias de Time to Change. Un groupe a été interviewé en personne tandis que l'autre a répondu aux mesures par un sondage en ligne. Résultats :Après contrôle d'autres covariables, les termes d'interaction entre la méthode de collecte de données et la désirabilité sociale étaient positifs pour chaque instrument. Le score de désirabilité sociale était associé au score de RIBS seulement dans le groupe vu en personne (β = 0,35; IC à 95 % 0,14 à 0,57), mais pas au score de MAKS dans les 2 groupes; cependant, les scores de MAKS étaient plus susceptibles d'être positifs lorsque les données étaient recueillies en personne (β = 1,53; IC à 95 % 0,74 à 2,32).

Attitudes towards the people with mental illness: comparison between Czech medical doctors and general population

“…Second, responses assessing attitudes might be affected by social desirability. However, using a self-complete method for measuring attitudes toward people with mental health problems is less prone to social desirability bias than faceto-face interview [52] and we opted for this method in our study. This is not to say that a social desirability bias was eliminated completely, vice versa, its role should be carefully considered when interpreting the findings of our study as medical doctors could be more compelled to respond in line with perceived societal expectations than members of the general population.…”

Mental Health Stigma in the Military

“…An assessment conducted immediately after the campaign launched found that fewer people said that they had often or very often worried that others would view them unfavorably because they use mental health services (Schneider, Beeley, and Repper, 2011). Although not a direct measure of stigma, Henderson, Evans-Lacko, et al (2012) assessed whether people with mental illness experienced more or less discrimination in a range of 21 life behaviors (e.g., from their employers, neighbors, landlords). Twelve months after the campaign launched, respondents reported significantly less discriminatory behavior in about one-third of the life behaviors-specifically, they reported fewer instances of being shunned and fewer instances of being discriminated against because of their mental illness by friends, family, social acquaintances, and employers .…”

Alcohol consumption, mental health status, and treatment in Nigeria and Uganda

“…It is likely that some of the differences may be due to cultural and economic changes over the last decades (Anderson, Chisholm, & Fuhr, 2009), and to possible differences in the respondents' own perceptions and interpretations of the survey questions. Also, surveys may underestimate actual drinking behaviors and MHS due to social desirability and fear of stigma (Henderson, Evans-Lacko, Flach, & Thornicroft, 2012;Stockwell et al, 2004). Furthermore, the Ugandan sample was smaller than that for Nigeria, which could have led to finding fewer significant associations.…”