Skip to search boxSkip to navigationSkip to main content

The impact of linguistic form of labels on desire for social distance in mental health

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

The American Psychological Association, among other influential bodies, make recommendations on language for describing people with mental health conditions. The present studies test the impact of the recommended language on stigma. In Study 1, participants (n = 294) were asked to complete measures of desire for social distance from individuals given a diagnostic label in either person-first possessive, identity-first noun, or identity-first adjective forms. Familiarity with the diagnoses was considered as a potential influence on the outcome. The 3*2 (linguistic form * experience) factorial design was repeated for three diagnoses - schizophrenia, anorexia and alcoholism. In Study 2, the research was replicated with a sample recruited from the UK population via social media (n = 230). Factorial ANOVA was used for analysis. In contrast with previous literature, the studies found neither an effect of linguistic form (hypothesis 1) nor an interaction effect with familiarity (hypothesis 2). Research on this topic is in an early stage and, above all, it remains important to use language, which shows respect when talking to or about others.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 1947-1963 (17 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (Volume 22, Issue 4)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 29/10/2022
  • Published - 02/12/2022

Publication status

Published - 02/12/2022

ISSN

1557-1874

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/625607
  • Scopus: 85143221812
  • PubMed: 36505228

Access to documents

Publication metrics

Metrics

Download statistics
Download count
3