The aim of this dissertation is to clarify the process of stigma of mental illnesses and create awareness about it, as understanding the concept of stigma is a prerequisite to decide on strategies for its reduction. The findings of this study illustrate that stigma is impacted by the causal attribution of illness. Humans tend to make more stigmatizing judgments when an illness is a mental illness that is attributed to the mind compared to an illness that is physical and attributed to the body. Furthermore, this research found that mere information about mental illness issues is not a sufficient way to reduce stigma, which leads to the proposal of seminars and workshops within a managerial context to educate employees about stigma and reduce it.
The concept of mental health is not accepted universally in our society and, accordingly, does not enjoy the same attention as physical health. People suffering from a mental illness not only have to cope with their symptoms, they face prejudices, wrong stereotypes and stigma regularly. Hence, one intention should be to set an end to stigma, also within the working context. Especially during the Covid-19-pandemic, our health and the well-being of the people we care about is a matter of daily concern. The threat to our physical health is immense; nevertheless, due to lockdowns, minimization of social contacts and recommendations to stay home, we are further reminded that a good health itself is characterized not only by physical health, but also by our mental health.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Relevance for Research
Aims and Scope
I Definition of Mental Health and Illness
II The Role of Society in Mental Illness Stigma
III Impact of Mental illness Stigma at Work
IV Models Explaining Stigma
V Body and Mind Gap
VI The Case of the COVID19- Pandemic and its Relation to Mental Health/Stigma
VII Reduction of Stigma
VIII Conclusion Based on Theory
Methodology
I Participants
II Materials
III Scales used within the Questionnaire
Procedure
Results
Discussion
I Summary of Key Findings
II Interpretation of the Results
III Most Relevant Findings and their Managerial Implications
IV Potential Limitations
V Future Research
Conclusion
Objectives & Research Scope
This dissertation explores the presence and impact of mental illness stigma within a managerial environment, aiming to identify how awareness levels and causal illness attributions influence stigmatizing behaviors among employees and employers.
- Analyzing the prevalence of mental illness stigma in workplace settings.
- Examining the influence of mental health awareness on stigmatizing behaviors.
- Evaluating the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in shaping attitudes toward mental health.
- Assessing how causal attribution of illness (mind vs. body) affects perceptions of colleagues.
- Developing managerial recommendations for stigma reduction through education.
Excerpt from the Book
Introduction
“The single most important barrier to overcome in the community is the stigma and associated discrimination towards persons suffering from mental and behavioural disorders.” - The World Health Organisation (2001, p. 98)
More than 792 million people worldwide suffered from a mental illness in 2017. Specifically, anxiety disorder with 284 million and depression with 264 million patients mark the two most common mental conditions globally (Statista, 2017). Especially, these two mental illnesses have been found to be increasing due to the Covid-19 pandemic – 2020, 54 million more people than in 2019 suffered from a depressive disorder while there were 76 million more than in 2019 facing an anxiety disorder according to a study conducted by the Lancet in 2020. The study further alludes, the countries that had the highest numbers of Covid-19 patients also reflected the strongest increase of mental illnesses in their population (The Lancet Study, 2020).
The numbers are considered as alarming, in part because available solutions are far from sufficient. This is especially troubling when taking into account the fact that people are not undergoing the treatment for mental illnesses offered and improved for them. Personal barriers and system-level barriers are potential reasons for this. Personal reasons for avoiding treatment could be poor mental health literacy or the conviction that treatment as such does not help. System barriers on the other hand include long waiting times for treatment therapies, financial struggle or insurance issues (Corrigan et al., 2014). All these negative reasons are further impacted in a negative way by stigma. Stigma does not only work as an impediment for treatment, but it also creates an additional burden for mentally ill individuals (Corrigan, 2006). Symptoms of a mental illness, if intense and untreated, may be associated with high psychological, and sometimes physical suffering which impacts the overall life quality, including social and work contexts. In addition, mental illnesses lead to negative social reactions due to the mentioned stigmatization which happens in various forms and makes life even more difficult for the affected (Corrigan, 2000).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the background and problem statement regarding the global prevalence of mental disorders and the significant role of stigma as a barrier to treatment and workplace well-being.
Relevance for Research: Outlines why stigma is a critical managerial problem, emphasizing the necessity of a positive working culture and closing the business-focused knowledge gap.
Aims and Scope: Details the dissertation's focus on measuring stigma through social distance scales and evaluating how awareness levels and causal attributions form the basis of the research questions.
Literature Review: Explores existing psychological definitions of health and illness, social cognitive models for understanding stigma, and the attribution theory in relation to controllability.
Methodology: Describes the quantitative experimental design, utilizing a survey of 207 participants to analyze independent variables like awareness and causal attribution.
Results: Presents the statistical analysis of the four measurement scales, revealing insights into how different awareness levels and illness types impact stigmatizing scores.
Discussion: Interprets findings in the context of the hypotheses, offers managerial implications for reducing stigma, and acknowledges potential limitations and future research directions.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the core findings, affirming the prevalence of stigma in work environments and recommending educational strategies to foster a more open and inclusive organizational culture.
Keywords
Mental Health, Mental Illness Stigma, Workplace Mental Health, Social Attribution, Trait Attribution, Controllability, COVID-19 Impact, Managerial environment, Stigma Reduction, Psychological Disorders, Organizational Culture, Discrimination, Self-Stigma, Behavioral Barriers, Cognitive Models
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The research investigates the stigmatization of mental illness within a managerial and workplace environment, focusing on how different levels of awareness and casual attributions influence how employees are evaluated.
What are the central themes of the work?
The core themes include the impact of mental health awareness, the influence of causal attribution (whether an illness is seen as controllable or not), and the specific consequences of stigmatization in a business setting.
What is the central research question?
The central goal is to determine if stigma against mental illness is prevalent in the workplace and how specific variables like information campaigns or the attribution of illness as "mental" versus "physical" modulate this stigma.
What research methodology was employed?
The author utilized a quantitative, experimental methodology, distributing a survey to 207 participants to collect data on their decision-making and social distance preferences in hypothetical workplace scenarios.
What content is covered in the main body?
The main body details theoretical frameworks like the Social Attribution Model and Attribution Theory, describes the experimental setup (including vignettes and questionnaires), and provides a comprehensive statistical analysis of the study results.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Mental Health Stigma, Workplace Psychology, Causal Attribution, Controllability, and Stigma Reduction strategies.
How does the COVID-19 pandemic relate to this research?
The study examines how reminders of the pandemic influenced people's stigmatizing behaviors, testing whether increased societal debate about mental health during lockdowns affected attitudes in a professional environment.
What are the key managerial implications suggested by the author?
The author argues that providing superficial information is insufficient, recommending instead that employers implement structured education and contact programs to challenge negative stereotypes and foster an inclusive culture.
- Quote paper
- Nadja Büngers (Author), 2021, Stigmatization of Mental Health in a Managerial Environment. Statistical Analysis and Evaluation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1358837