An Examination of the Impact of a Biological Anti-Stigma Message for Depression on College Students

Abstract

Stigma is one reason that some people avoid seeking mental health treatment. This study tested whether a biologically based anti-stigma message affected various stigma-related outcomes in college students. One hundred eighty-two undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to see a billboard presenting the message, “Depression is a brain disease,” or a control message. Dependent variables included positive and negative affect, message appeal, stigma, and willingness to seek treatment. The biologically based anti-stigma message increased participants’ affect, was rated as relatively unappealing, and failed to reduce stigma or increase willingness to seek treatment. These preliminary findings raise concern about continued use of similar messages in college populations.

Keywords:

• biomedical model
• depression
• stigma

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Portions of this article were submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the first author's Master's thesis, and portions of this article were also presented at the 140th Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association in San Francisco, CA, October 27–31, 2012. We thank Lucian Gideon Conway III and Carol Bruneau for their comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. In addition, we wish to thank Steven Clark, Julianne Nelson, Eva Zajac, and Sara Nichols for their assistance with data collection and management.