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Most medical researchers and social scientists concur that mental illness is caused by "nature" and "nurture," yet efforts to reduce stigma tend to focus on biomedical causes. This study analyzed original survey data collected from 1,849 respondents in 2021–2022 who were randomly assigned to 16 experimental vignette conditions. Each vignette portrayed a man and varied according to which psychiatric diagnosis his situation resembled (alcohol dependence, depression, or schizophrenia) and what caused it: genetics (nature), environmental stress (nurture), or both. Control conditions included subclinical distress and no explanation. Exposure to the environmental explanation (vs. no explanation) predicted identifying mental illness, reduced expectation of violence toward others, increased willingness to socially interact, and optimism for recovery with treatment. Exposure to the nature and nurture explanation (vs. no explanation) predicted reduced desire for social distance. Implications of these findings for future research and for contact-based anti-stigma efforts are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of causal explanations, information about treatability, and type of psychiatric diagnosis on how the public reacts to an individual described as having a specific mental illness versus subclinical distress. A 5 (mental health condition) × 2 (treatability) × 4 (causal explanation) vignette experiment was embedded in an online survey, followed by assessments of prognostic optimism and desire to maintain social distance from the vignette character. Data were collected, in late 2022, from a probability sample (N=1,607) representative of the U.S. adult population. Ordinary least-squares regression was used to estimate the effects of the experimental conditions, covariates, and interactions on respondents' desire for social distance and their prognostic optimism. Attribution of mental illness to a genetic predisposition (vs. no attribution) significantly (p<0.001) predicted unwillingness to socially interact with the vignette character, regardless of the character's psychiatric diagnosis. Describing the illness as treatable with medication or psychotherapy (vs. no treatability information) also reduced willingness to socially interact, yet it also increased optimism for recovery. Desire for social distance and prognostic pessimism were greater for alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, or schizophrenia compared with major depression or subclinical distress. Attributing mental illness solely to genetics predicts social rejection of people diagnosed as having psychiatric disorders. Efforts to reduce stigma, increase social acceptance, and protect the mental health of individuals diagnosed as having a mental illness should include not framing mental illness exclusively in genetic terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many states in the U.S. implemented physical distancing policies to limit the spread of COVID-19. These policies disrupted communication for many people. One method to maintain communication, despite physical distancing policies, is computer mediated communication (CMC). However, younger generations tend to adopt technology at a higher rate than older generations, thus age could play a role in whether people use CMC in response to physical distancing policies. Because COVID-19 is unique in temporal context and scope, there is limited research examining the effects of physical distancing and age on communication. To understand how communication practices changed in response to physical distancing policies and whether these practices differed by age, we interviewed 20 participants. Findings suggested most participants increased CMC in response to physical distancing policies, although older participants were less likely to do so. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]