Trust and stigmatising attitudes towards bipolar disorder

This book investigated the effect of positive and negative media vignette depictions of individuals described as having bipolar disorder (BD), on public stigmatising attitudes and situational trust (beliefs and intentions). Positive depictions of BD received significantly higher trust, and lower stigmatising attitudes than negative depictions of BD. These effects became non-significant after controlling for BIPQ, age and dispositional trust as covariates, and gender and familiarity as between-subjects variables. In conclusion, how a BD depiction is portrayed (positive or negative), has greater impacts on trust intentions, beliefs, and stigmatising attitudes, than demographics (age, gender), dispositional beliefs (trust), familiarity and illness perceptions.

Eliza Wood Lyndorff BA: Psychology and Linguistics Bangor University, MSc: Social Psychology, Lancaster University. Currently completing MSc Occupational Therapy training at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk in order to become a qualified Occupational Therapist.