Cross-cultural comparisons of the effect of a schizophrenia label on stigmatizing family attitudes: A case vignette study.

It has been proposed that stigmatizing attitudes toward a family member with schizophrenia are less prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LAMIC) than in high-income countries (HIC). Furthermore, studies from HIC have shown that labeling increases certain aspects of stigma. This raises concerns about an export of this Western psychiatric labeling practice to LAMIC. The aim of the present research was to determine (a) whether stigmatizing family attitudes are less prevalent in LAMIC than in HIC and (b) whether stigmatizing family attitudes are intensified in both country types by introducing a schizophrenia label. Adults from two HIC (n = 718) and four LAMIC (n = 763) participated in the online study by reading a vignette, which depicted a family member presenting schizophrenia symptoms. Participants were randomly allocated to receive either the label (mental illness called schizophrenia) or the no label condition. Stigma-related stereotypes, emotions, and negative family affect were measured. A two-way multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted. This analysis revealed that participants from LAMIC showed significantly less stigmatizing attitudes toward their family members compared to those from HIC. Introducing a schizophrenia label significantly increased stigmatizing family attitudes in both country types, but the association between labeling and family attitudes was stronger in HIC than in LAMIC. Our results indicate that family attitudes toward schizophreni...
Source: Journal of Abnormal Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research