Belief in a just world and attitudes towards mental illness

Article

McKechnie, V. and Harper, D. 2010. Belief in a just world and attitudes towards mental illness. Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches. 3 (2), pp. 145-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/17522439.2010.484504
AuthorsMcKechnie, V. and Harper, D.
Abstract

This study investigated whether a person’s belief in a just world (BJW) or knowing someone treated for a mental health problem was related to their attitudes towards those with a diagnosis of mental illness or to their beliefs about the causes of mental health problems. One hundred and seventy three participants completed a questionnaire measuring BJW, attitudes towards, and causal beliefs about, mental health problems. No relationship was found between BJW and attitudes, nor between psychosocial causal beliefs and attitudes. However, bio-genetic causal beliefs were associated with attitudes. Those who knew someone who had received treatment for a mental health problem had lower bio-genetic belief scores than those who did not. However, there were no differences between the two groups in BJW, attitudes or psychosocial beliefs.

KeywordsAttitudes; Stigma; Mental illness
JournalPsychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches
Journal citation3 (2), pp. 145-147
ISSN1752-2439
Year2010
PublisherRoutledge Taylor & Francis Group
Accepted author manuscript
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Anyone
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/17522439.2010.484504
Publication dates
Print05 Jul 2010
Publication process dates
Deposited02 Dec 2011
Copyright holder© 2010, The Author(s)
Additional information

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches on 5 July 2010, available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/17522439.2010.484504

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