Presenter(s)

Isabelle Anderson, Alanna Hartman, and Amelie Pflamminger

Abstract

Previous studies demonstrate that mental health issues are often under-recognized in males, and there are barriers to seeking help that may prevent men from getting necessary mental health treatment. Therefore, this study aims to examine how people perceive psychological distress in those with different genders and mental health disorders. Our sample consisted of around 250 participants who are attending Winona State University at the undergraduate level. In our survey, participants were presented with multiple vignettes of individuals showing symptoms of different mental health disorders, e.g. substance use disorder or social anxiety, for which the character gender was randomized. Following this, participants were then asked to complete a series of questionnaires. The chosen scales looked at stigma, levels of social distance, as well as severity. We are currently analyzing our data to examine whether these different depending on target gender and disorder. This presentation is a look at preliminary data. Through this study, we hope to gain a better insight into mental health stigmatization by focusing closely on not only disorder type, but also gender. This can help us bring awareness to implicit biases surrounding mental health, especially regarding stigmatization of men. Through our findings, we hope to furthermore identity barriers to help-seeking.

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department

Psychology

Campus

Winona

First Advisor/Mentor

Elizabeth Russell

Start Date

4-24-2025 9:00 AM

End Date

4-24-2025 10:00 AM

Presentation Type

Poster Session

Format of Presentation or Performance

In-Person

Session

1a=9am-10am

Poster Number

57

Comments

Co-authors not presenting Molly Marston and Gabriella Becker.

Included in

Psychology Commons

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Apr 24th, 9:00 AM Apr 24th, 10:00 AM

Perceptions of Psychological Distress by Target Gender and Disorder Type: Preliminary Findings

Previous studies demonstrate that mental health issues are often under-recognized in males, and there are barriers to seeking help that may prevent men from getting necessary mental health treatment. Therefore, this study aims to examine how people perceive psychological distress in those with different genders and mental health disorders. Our sample consisted of around 250 participants who are attending Winona State University at the undergraduate level. In our survey, participants were presented with multiple vignettes of individuals showing symptoms of different mental health disorders, e.g. substance use disorder or social anxiety, for which the character gender was randomized. Following this, participants were then asked to complete a series of questionnaires. The chosen scales looked at stigma, levels of social distance, as well as severity. We are currently analyzing our data to examine whether these different depending on target gender and disorder. This presentation is a look at preliminary data. Through this study, we hope to gain a better insight into mental health stigmatization by focusing closely on not only disorder type, but also gender. This can help us bring awareness to implicit biases surrounding mental health, especially regarding stigmatization of men. Through our findings, we hope to furthermore identity barriers to help-seeking.

 

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