IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v67y2021i7p935-945.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The mediating role of knowledge on the contact and stigma of mental illness in Hong Kong

Author

Listed:
  • Qi Fang
  • Tian-Ming Zhang
  • Yin Ling Irene Wong
  • Yuen Yum Yau
  • Xu-Hong Li
  • Jie Li
  • Cheryl Hiu Kwan Chui
  • Samson Tse
  • Cecilia Lai-Wan Chan
  • Eric Yu Hai Chen
  • Mao-Sheng Ran

Abstract

Background: Although knowledge is a crucial component in contact theory delineating how prejudice changes toward out-groups with stigmatized conditions, little is known about the mediating role of knowledge on contact, stigmatizing attitudes, and behaviors toward mental illness. Aim: This study aimed to examine the mechanism underlie contact and stigma change by knowledge. Methods: A total of 366 participants including family members (FM), mental health providers (MHP), and community residents (CR) recruited across communities in Hong Kong and completed measures of contact level, contact quantity, contact quality, mental health related knowledge, prejudice, and discriminatory behaviors. Structural equation modeling was adopted to test the association among the key variables. Results: Higher level of contact was significantly correlated with better knowledge, less prejudice, and less discriminatory behaviors. Knowledge was directly and negatively correlated with prejudicial attitudes but was not significantly related to discriminatory behaviors. Furthermore, lower levels of prejudice were associated with less discriminatory behaviors. Conclusion: Enhancement of contact may increase understanding toward people with mental illness (PMI) and diminish stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors. Although prejudicial attitudes may be reduced by broadening mental health knowledge, increasing knowledge only might not ameliorate discriminatory behaviors. Future research should test mediators on contact and stigma by using longitudinal data.

Suggested Citation

  • Qi Fang & Tian-Ming Zhang & Yin Ling Irene Wong & Yuen Yum Yau & Xu-Hong Li & Jie Li & Cheryl Hiu Kwan Chui & Samson Tse & Cecilia Lai-Wan Chan & Eric Yu Hai Chen & Mao-Sheng Ran, 2021. "The mediating role of knowledge on the contact and stigma of mental illness in Hong Kong," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(7), pages 935-945, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:67:y:2021:i:7:p:935-945
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764020975792
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764020975792
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0020764020975792?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chan, Jenny Y.N. & Mak, Winnie W.S. & Law, Lawrence S.C., 2009. "Combining education and video-based contact to reduce stigma of mental illness: "The Same or Not the Same" anti-stigma program for secondary schools in Hong Kong," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(8), pages 1521-1526, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yiu, Jessie W. & Mak, Winnie W.S. & Ho, Winnie S. & Chui, Ying Yu, 2010. "Effectiveness of a knowledge-contact program in improving nursing students' attitudes and emotional competence in serving people living with HIV/AIDS," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 38-44, July.
    2. Pablo Ronzoni & Nisha Dogra & Olayinka Omigbodun & Tolulope Bella & Olayinka Atitola, 2010. "Stigmatization of Mental Illness Among Nigerian Schoolchildren," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 56(5), pages 507-514, September.
    3. Cook, Jonathan E. & Purdie-Vaughns, Valerie & Meyer, Ilan H. & Busch, Justin T.A., 2014. "Intervening within and across levels: A multilevel approach to stigma and public health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 101-109.
    4. Xu-Hong Li & Tian-Ming Zhang & Yuen Yum Yau & Yi-Zhou Wang & Yin-Ling Irene Wong & Lawrence Yang & Xiao-li Tian & Cecilia Lai-Wan Chan & Mao-Sheng Ran, 2021. "Peer-to-peer contact, social support and self-stigma among people with severe mental illness in Hong Kong," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(6), pages 622-631, September.
    5. Corrigan, Patrick W. & Fong, Mandy W.M., 2014. "Competing perspectives on erasing the stigma of illness: What says the dodo bird?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 110-117.
    6. M. Economou & E. Louki & L. E. Peppou & C. Gramandani & L. Yotis & C. N. Stefanis, 2012. "Fighting psychiatric stigma in the classroom: The impact of an educational intervention on secondary school students’ attitudes to schizophrenia," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 58(5), pages 544-551, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:67:y:2021:i:7:p:935-945. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.