Nature and/or Nurture: Causal Attributions of Mental Illness and Stigma

Most medical researchers and social scientists concur that mental illness is caused by “nature” and “nurture,” yet efforts to reduce stigma tend to focus on biomedical causes. This study analyzed original survey data collected from 1,849 respondents in 2021–2022 who were randomly assigned to 16 expe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social psychology quarterly 2024-06, Vol.87 (2), p.175-196
Main Authors: Elliott, Marta, Ragsdale, James M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcoholism
Attribution
Biomedicine
Genetics
Illnesses
Medical diagnosis
Medical research
Mental disorders
Optimism
Psychological distress
Schizophrenia
Social distance
Social environment
Social sciences
Social scientists
Stigma
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Summary:Most medical researchers and social scientists concur that mental illness is caused by “nature” and “nurture,” yet efforts to reduce stigma tend to focus on biomedical causes. This study analyzed original survey data collected from 1,849 respondents in 2021–2022 who were randomly assigned to 16 experimental vignette conditions. Each vignette portrayed a man and varied according to which psychiatric diagnosis his situation resembled (alcohol dependence, depression, or schizophrenia) and what caused it: genetics (nature), environmental stress (nurture), or both. Control conditions included subclinical distress and no explanation. Exposure to the environmental explanation (vs. no explanation) predicted identifying mental illness, reduced expectation of violence toward others, increased willingness to socially interact, and optimism for recovery with treatment. Exposure to the nature and nurture explanation (vs. no explanation) predicted reduced desire for social distance. Implications of these findings for future research and for contact-based anti-stigma efforts are presented.
ISSN:0190-2725
1939-8999
DOI:10.1177/01902725231175279