The Contributions of Attitudes About Therapy and Perceptions of Therapy Productiveness to Mental Health Literacy and Internalized Stigma

It is clear that stigma about mental illness and poor mental health literacy (MHL) impact treatment experiences; less is known about how treatment experiences or perceptions might impact stigma and MHL. We examined whether having positive experiences in therapy, or pro-therapy attitudes, reduce stigma and increase MHL in a sample of adults in the United States (N = 141). Relationship between the client's assessment of therapy productiveness and internalized stigma predict attitudes towards seeking help and that attitudes towards seeking help and productiveness contribute to MHL. Results suggest that positive perceptions of, and interactions with therapy, improve MHL and decrease stigma.