The Use of Psychiatric Medication, Human Capital, and the Amplification of Mistrust

Abstract

This research investigates the relationships among willingness to utilize psychiatric medication, education, and three forms of mistrust—generalized mistrust, mistrust in physicians, and mistrust in psychiatric medication. Utilizing human capital theory and two waves of the U.S. General Social Survey (N = 2,671), our findings show a curvilinear relationship between willingness to use psychiatric drugs and education, such that individuals with less than a high school diploma and those with a college or advanced degree are more willing to use psychiatric drugs compared to those with a high school degree. Also, the effects of all three forms of mistrust are amplified and have significant, negative effects on the use of psychiatric medication among college graduates. Mistrust in physicians and mistrust in psychiatric drugs matters for high school graduates, while only mistrust in psychiatric medication impacts the use of psychotropics for those with less than a high school degree.

Acknowledgments

This research is, in part, supported by a grant to C. André Christie-Mizell from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Center at Meharry Medical College (RWJF Grant No. 64300 and subaward No. 100927DLH216-02).

Notes

Notes. ¹Willingness to Use Psychiatric Medications ranges from 4 (less likely) to 20 (more likely).

²Generalized Mistrust ranges from 3 (less mistrust) to 9 (greater mistrust).

³Mistrust in Physicians ranges from 5 (less mistrust) to 25 (greater mistrust).

⁴Mistrust Psychiatric Medicine ranges from 4 (less mistrust) to 20 (greater mistrust).

^a Denotes significant differences between Less than High School and High School Diploma at p < .05 (two-tailed test).

^b Denotes significant differences between Less than High School and College or More at p < .05 (two-tailed test).

^c Denotes significant differences between High School Diploma and College or more at p < .05 (two-tailed test).

Notes. ¹Willingness to Use Psychiatric Medication ranges from 4 (less likely) to 20 (more likely).

²Generalized Mistrust ranges from 3 (less mistrust) to 9 (greater mistrust).

³Mistrust in Physicians ranges from 5 (less mistrust) to 25 (greater mistrust).

⁴Mistrust in Psychiatric Medicine ranges from 4 (less mistrust) to 20 (greater mistrust).

*p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001 (two-tailed tests).

Notes. ¹Willingness to Use Psychiatric Medication ranges from 4 (less likely) to 20 (more likely).

²Generalized Mistrust ranges from 3 (less mistrust) to 9 (greater mistrust).

³Mistrust in Physicians ranges from 5 (less mistrust) to 25 (greater mistrust).

⁴Mistrust in Psychiatric Medicine ranges from 4 (less mistrust) to 20 (greater mistrust).

*p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001 (two-tailed tests).