Imagined disclosure of a close other’s mental health status: a strategy for reducing stigma by association

Abstract

The present research applied imagined contact theory (Crisp & Turner, 2009) to the context of stigma by association, or stigma of mental illness as it relates to individuals associated with persons accessing mental health services. Mental imagery was used to address stigma in a sample of university students (N = 127). Participants, who had close relationships with someone with a mental health condition, were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, imagined contact group or control group. The former group imagined positively disclosing to a stranger the closer other’s mental health status and the latter group imagined nature. In addition to assessing the effects of imagined contact on stigma by association, the research assessed if this depends on the quantity of prior disclosures, and quality of prior disclosures of the close other’s mental health condition. The criterion variables were stigma by association, affiliate stigma, and self-efficacy expectancy. Contrary to expectations, imagined contact did not have significant effects on stigma by association, self-efficacy expectancy, or affiliate stigma. Importantly, however, quality of prior disclosure predicted stigma by association, self-efficacy expectancy, and affiliate stigma. In addition, participants’ quantity of prior disclosure was a significant predictor for stigma by association, self-efficacy expectancy, and marginally predicted affiliate stigma. These findings carry practical implications and lend to the discussion of future directions regarding disclosures regarding mental health conditions.