Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Fear of People with Mental Illnesses

The Role of Personal and Impersonal Contact and Exposure to Threat or Harm

Bibliographic Data

ID2316158
AuthorsJo C Phelan (0000-0002-5031-4839, Issues Research), Jo Phelan (0009-0002-9068-9085, Jo C. Phelan is Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University. Her broad research focus is on social psychological aspects of social inequalities. Her current research interests include public attitudes and beliefs about mental illness, in particular stigma and the potential impact of the genetics revolution on stigma), Bruce G Link (0000-0001-9980-7450, Mental Health America), Lexi Harari (0000-0001-7980-5407)
Year2004
Volume45
Issue1
Pages68-80
Publication date2004-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Health and Social Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-1465 • E-ISSN: 2150-6000
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/002214650404500105
PMID15179908
OpenAlexW2058406221
LanguageEN
Citations received44
References cited32

Vignette and laboratory experiments suggest that negative reactions to people with mental illness are a direct consequence of their symptomatic behavior, but because of their poor external validity, these studies cannot tell us whether widespread negative public reactions to people with mental illness actually result from observation of symptomatic behavior. Focusing on perceived danger, we use a large national survey to test the 'behavior hypothesis' in the general population. We reason that, if this hypothesis is correct, contact with people with mental illnesses should be associated with more perceived danger, and exposure to threat or harm should mediate this association. On the contrary, respondents with more personal and impersonal contact perceive people with mental illness to be less dangerous. Exposure to threat is more common among people with more contact, but this exposure explains very little of the variance in perceived danger. These findings do not support the conclusion that public fear of people with mental illness is due to the observation of violent behavior

Environmental health · Harm · Mental health · Mental illness · Population · Psychiatry · Vignette · Clinical Psychology · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social Psychology

  • Mental illness as a relationship dealbreaker

    Guy A Boysen, Jordan Morton et al.•Stigma and Health•2018

  • Individual and neighborhood predictors of mental illness stigma in New York state

    Open Access•Lauren Gonzales, Gerald Chan et al.•Stigma and Health•2016

  • Social relationships among persons who have experienced serious mental illness, substance abuse, and homelessness

    D K Padgett, Benjamin F Henwood et al.•American Journal of Orthopsychiatry•2008

  • Undergraduate Psychology Students' Experiences of Volunteering at a Chronic Mental Health Facility

    Open Access•Anna Maria Kritzinger, Anthony L Pillay•Psychological Reports•2010

  • Social Inclusion of People with Mental Illness

    Open Access•Julian Leff, Richard Warner et al.•Social Inclusion of People with…•2006

  • Labeling and Stigma

    Bruce G Link, Lexi Harari et al.•Handbook Of The Sociology Of…•2013

  • Social exclusion and mental health

    Open Access•Craig Morgan, Tom Burns et al.•The British Journal of Psychiatry•2007

  • Public beliefs about and attitudes towards people with mental illness

    Open Access•M C Angermeyer, Sandra Dietrich•Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica•2006

  • General and Case-Specific Approval of Coercion in Psychiatry in the Public Opinion

    Open Access•Sahar Steiger, Julian Moeller et al.•International Journal of…•2023

  • Stigma and Status

    Open Access•Jeffrey W Lucas, Jo C Phelan et al.•Social Psychology Quarterly•2012

  • Stigma Levels Toward Psychiatric Patients Among Medical Students—A Worldwide Online Survey Across 65 Countries

    Open Access•Mateusz Babicki, Monika Małecka et al.•Frontiers in Psychiatry•2021

  • Stayin’ Alive in Little 5

    Open Access•Sarah Febres‐Cordero, Daniel Smith et al.•International Journal of…•2022

  • The Relationship between Individual-Level and Context-Level Factors and Social Distancing from Patients with Depression in Taiwan

    Open Access•Chi-Hsuan Tsai, Yu-Chen Kao et al.•International Journal of…•2020

  • Correlates of gun violence by criminal justice-involved adolescents

    Lauren Gonzales, Dale E McNiel•Law and Human Behavior•2020

  • Stigma and Stereotyping of Veterans who May Benefit from a Psychiatric Service Dog

    Open Access•Linzi Williamson, Daniel Pelletier et al.•Journal of Veterans Studies•2023

  • Stigma and Stereotyping of Veterans who May Benefit from a Psychiatric Service Dog

    Open Access•Linzi Williamson, Daniel Pelletier et al.•Journal of Veterans Studies•2023

  • Contents of stereotypes toward mental illness

    Open Access•Burçak Sönmez, Kübra Meltem Karaoğlu•Current Psychology•2023

  • The psychometric properties of the Forensic Stigma Scale (FSS)

    Open Access•Lindsay V Healey•International Journal of Law and…•2022

  • The paradox of seeking help

    Open Access•Cheng Cheng, Yifei Ren•Chinese Journal of Sociology•2024

  • Aberration of mind or soul

    Open Access•Lauren T Meaux, Stephanie C Doran et al.•Journal of Aggression Conflict…•2020

  • The impact of a felony conviction on stigmatization in a workplace scenario

    Open Access•Crosby Hipes•International journal of law,…•2019

  • An investigation into social work students’ attitudes towards people with mental illness in Greece

    Charis Asimopoulos, Sofia Martinaki•International Journal of Culture…•2018

  • A typology of stigma within organizations

    Open Access•James K Summers, Michael Howe et al.•Journal of Organizational Behavior•2018

  • Gender and Mental Health

    Sarah Rosenfield, Dawne M Mouzon et al.•Handbook Of The Sociology Of…•2013

  • At the Edge? HIV Stigma and Centrality in a Community’s Social Network in Namibia

    Open Access•Rachel A Smith, Michelle Baker•AIDS and Behavior•2012

  • Stigmatization of War Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

    Open Access•Crosby Hipes, Darren Gemoets et al.•Society and Mental Health•2019

  • Factors affecting stigma toward suicide and depression

    Open Access•Soowon Park, Min-Ji Kim et al.•International Journal of Social…•2015

  • Managing the terror of a dangerous world

    Open Access•Joseph S Deluca, Philip T Yanos•International Journal of Social…•2016

  • Political attitudes as predictors of the multiple dimensions of mental health stigma

    Open Access•Joseph S Deluca, John Vaccaro et al.•International Journal of Social…•2018

  • A population study of public stigma about psychosis and its contributing factors among Chinese population in Hong Kong

    Open Access•Sherry Kit Wa Chan, Wendy Wan Yee Tam et al.•International Journal of Social…•2016

  • Stigma Sentiments and Self-Meanings

    Open Access•A Kroska, Sarah K Harkne•Social Psychology Quarterly•2006

  • The “Backbone” of Stigma

    Bernice A Pescosolido, Tait R Medina et al.•American Journal of Public Health•2013

  • Beliefs and Prejudices Versus Knowledge and Awareness

    Open Access•Chiara Buizza, Alberto Ghilardi et al.•Community Mental Health Journal•2017

  • Attitudes Toward Community Mental Health Care

    Open Access•Eva Pattyn, M Verhaeghe et al.•Community Mental Health Journal•2012

  • An Examination of Factors Affecting State Legislators’ Support for Parity Laws for Different Mental Illnesses

    Open Access•Meagan Pilar, Jonathan Purtle et al.•Community Mental Health Journal•2022

  • Stereotypes of mental disorders differ in competence and warmth

    Open Access•Melody S Sadler, Melody Sadler et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2012

  • Labeling, causal attributions, and social network ties to people with mental illness

    Open Access•E Pullen, Emily A Ekl et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2022

  • The social network context of HIV stigma

    Open Access•Takada, Sae Takada et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2019

  • Caregivers' causal attributions of their relatives' mental illness and the association with stigma

    Open Access•Vathsala Sagayadevan, Ying Wen Lau et al.•Transcultural Psychiatry•2020

  • Head take you

    Open Access•Carlotta M Arthur, R Whitley•Transcultural Psychiatry•2015

  • Mad, Sick, Head Nuh Good

    Open Access•Carlotta M Arthur, Frederick W Hickling et al.•Transcultural Psychiatry•2010

  • Public Stigma and Personal Networks

    Open Access•B Perry, Brea L Perry et al.•Journal of Health and Social…•2022

  • Countries and Cultural Differences in the Stigma of Mental Illness

    Open Access•Anne C Krendl, Bernice A Pescosolido•Journal of Cross-Cultural…•2020

  • The status and stigma consequences of mental illness labels, deviant behavior, and fear

    Open Access•B Manago, Trenton D Mize•Social Science Research•2022

  • Sampling Methods for Random Digit Dialing

    Joseph Waksberg•Journal of the American…•1978

  • A Procedure for Objective Respondent Selection within the Household

    Leslie Kish•Journal of the American…•1949

  • Dispelling the Stigma of Schizophrenia

    David L Penn, K Guynan et al.•Schizophrenia Bulletin•1994

  • Changing Attitudes About Schizophrenia

    E Paul Holmes, Patrick W Corrigan et al.•Schizophrenia Bulletin•1999

  • Improving Intergroup Relations

    Walter G Stephan, Walter Stephan et al.•Improving Intergroup Relations•2001

  • Methods in observational epidemiology

    Ian Leck•Journal of Epidemiology and…•1987

  • Lifetime and five-year prevalence of homelessness in the United States

    Bruce G Link, Ezra Susser et al.•American Journal of Public Health•1994

  • Public conceptions of mental illness

    Bruce G Link, Jo C Phelan et al.•American Journal of Public Health•1999

  • Heterosexuals' attitudes toward lesbians and gay men

    Gregory M Herek•The Journal of Sex Research•1988

  • The Variable Effects of Education on Liberal Attitudes

    Frederick D Weil•American Sociological Review•1985

  • Effects of structured cooperative contact on changing negative attitudes toward stigmatized social groups

    Donna M Desforges, Charles G Lord et al.•Journal of Personality and Social…•1991

  • Education, Social Liberalism, and Economic Conservatism

    Jo C Phelan, Jo Phelan et al.•American Sociological Review•1995

  • Education and Intergroup Attitudes

    Mary R Jackman, Michael J Muha•American Sociological Review•1984

  • Rejection

    Derek L Phillips•American Sociological Review•1963

  • The Labelling Theory of Mental Illness

    Thomas J Scheff•American Sociological Review•1974

  • Societal Reaction as an Explanation of Mental Illness

    Walter R Gove•American Sociological Review•1970

  • The effect of violent attacks by schizophrenic persons on the attitude of the public towards the mentally ill

    Open Access•Matthias C Angermeyer, Herbert Matschinger•Social Science & Medicine•1996

  • Being Mentally Ill

    Thomas J Scheff•Being Mentally Ill•2017

  • Public Conceptions of Mental Illness in 1950 and 1996

    Jo C Phelan, Jo Phelan et al.•Journal of Health and Social…•2000

  • Contact with the Mentally Ill and Perceptions of How Dangerous They Are

    Bruce G Link, Lexi Harari et al.•Journal of Health and Social…•1986

  • Critically Reassessing the Accuracy of Public Perceptions of the Dangerousness of the Mentally Ill

    Henry J Steadman•Journal of Health and Social…•1981

  • Stability of Mental Health Attitudes

    Donald W Olmsted, Katherine Durham•Journal of Health and Social…•1976

  • Conceptualizing Stigma

    Bruce G Link, Lexi Harari et al.•Annual Review of Sociology•2001

  • The Social Rejection of Former Mental Patients

    Bruce G Link, Francis T Cullen et al.•American Journal of Sociology•1987

Unique citing works44
Citations per year2,2
Citation span2006 - 2024 (19)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 41
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae