The Mediating Effect of Mindfulness on the Relationship Between Mental Illness Self-Stigma and General Psychological Distress: A Cross-Sectional Study

Martin, Timothy John

The Mediating Effect of Mindfulness on the Relationship Between Mental Illness Self-Stigma and General Psychological Distress: A Cross-Sectional Study

Files

Martin_hawii_0085O_10313.pdf (1.39 MB)

Date

2019

Authors

Martin, Timothy John

Advisor

Masuda, Akihiko

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Mental illness self-stigma is the devaluation, shame, secrecy, and social withdrawal triggered by applying negative stereotypes about mental illness to oneself. Evidence suggests that this form of self-stigma is associated with increased psychological distress and reduced quality of life. Mindfulness is the process of non-judgmental and accepting attention to experiences in the present moment, which may account for the link between mental illness self-stigma and psychological distress. The proposed cross-sectional survey of a non-clinical college sample aimed to investigate (1) whether mental illness self-stigma is positively associated with psychological distress and (2) whether mindfulness mediates the association between mental illness self-stigma and psychological distress. The results of the study revealed that mental illness self-stigma (and a modified version intended to capture self-stigma for general psychological distress) is positively associated with psychological distress and that mindfulness acts as a partial mediator on this relationship. Mindfulness may partially explain this link by capturing how individuals mentally process the negative associations of mental illness stereotypes.

Keywords

Clinical psychology, college, distress, mediates, mindfulness, self-stigma, stigma

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10125/63511

Extent

58 pages

Collections

M.A. - Psychology

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