Mental Illness Stigma: The Role of Cognitive Closure and Direct Experience

Background. Although a relationship between the Need for Cognitive Closure (NCC) and general prejudice has been established in the literature, evidence on the role of cognitive closure in mental health-related prejudice is lacking. Objective. In the current study, factors such as (1) firsthand encounters with mental health issues, (2) being diagnosed with a mental disorder, and (3) engaging directly with individuals experiencing mental health conditions, were identified as variables for group comparison. Instruments and Procedure. This empirical study was conducted on a sample from the general population 455 participants (131 males, 316 females, and 8 non-binary; Mage = 33.42; SD = 13.22), who completed the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding-Italian version (BIDR-6), the Prejudice Towards People with Mental Illness (PPMI) scale, and the Need for Cognitive Closure (NCC) scale. Results. The results indicate a notable association between the inclination for cognitive closure and increased levels of bias against individuals with mental health conditions. Furthermore, heightened prejudice aligns with a stronger inclination towards social desirability. Through the examination utilizing Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAG) and the group contrasts, it was evident that personal encounters with mental illness, having obtained a psychiatric diagnosis, and having acquaintances with mental health issues are linked to markedly reduced levels of prejudice and social desirability. Conclusions. This study can contribute to the understanding of the motivations underlying prejudice towards patients with mental illness and represents a starting point from which to develop and prepare psycho-social interventions to reduce stigma.