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Depression Stigma

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher Roth

    (University of Cologne)

  • Peter Schwardmann

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Egon Tripodi

    (Hertie School)

Abstract

Throughout history, people with mental illness have been discriminated against and stigmatized. Our experiment provides a new measure of perceived depression stigma and then investigates the causal effect of perceived stigma on help-seeking in a sample of 1,844 Americans suffering from depression. A large majority of our participants overestimate the extent of stigma associated with depression. In contrast to prior correlational evidence, lowering perceived social stigma through an information intervention leads to a reduction in the demand for psychotherapy. A mechanism experiment reveals that this information increases optimism about future mental health, thereby reducing the perceived need for therapy.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Roth & Peter Schwardmann & Egon Tripodi, 2024. "Depression Stigma," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 499, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    • Handle: RePEc:rco:dpaper:499
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Keywords

    depression; stigma; information; psychotherapy;
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