April 4-6, 2024 • Hyatt Regency • Lexington, KY
Innovations in Health Communication
Innovations in Health Communication
Abstract: Differences in Mental Illnesses, Race, and Attitudes: A Test of the MIRA model
In 2019 approximately 51.5 million adults in the United States were diagnosed with a mental illness (National Institute of Mental Health, 2021), meaning roughly 20.6% of the adult population in the U.S. likely suffers from some type of mental illness. Strikingly, differences among racial groups regarding the prevalence of mental illness and its treatment (National Institute of Mental Health, 2021).
Much mental illness information appears to be obtained from media sources, including television and film (Pirkis et al., 2006). Media images surrounding mental illness are rife with stereotypes and negative imagery (Pirkis et al., 2006) and recall of these images appears to impact attitudes about mental illness (Myrick & Pavelko, 2017).
Despite the similarities between portrayals of mental illness in media, scholars have uncovered a handful of differences in the way media messages frame specific mental illnesses and disorders (Gwarjanski and Parrott, 2018; Parrott et al., 2020); and, there is evidence that suggests mental illnesses and disorders differ in their levels of negative attitudes (Feldman & Crandall, 2007); and, existing research surrounding media and depictions of mental illness largely ignores race (Parrott & Parrott, 2015).
Method
In this study to understand the MIRA model, a 2x3 experiment testing race (Black vs. White) by mental illness (Substance Use Disorder vs. Schizophrenia vs. Eating Disorder) was designed. To analyze this data, an SEM was completed to test the model fit and a series of ANCOVAs and stepped-regressions were used to fully explore these data.
Procedure
A two-wave design to control for priming effects was developed. In the first wave, participants gave their consent, and then took the implicit associations test (IAT) measuring implicit racism, and two weeks in the second wave, participants were randomly assigned to one of 9 groups. Six of these groups were experimental conditions, varied based on mental illness type and race, plus three control groups, one for each mental illness condition. Participants then answered a series of questions about stereotypes, racial bias, responsibility attributions, and attitudes towards individuals with mental illness.
Sample
The sample for this study came from a Qualtrics panel. A total of 1333 participants were involved in the first wave. The second wave had 628 participants, making the final sample 628.
Participants’ ages ranged from 22-94, with a mean age of 61. 60.8% identified as male, 39% identified as female, and one participant did not disclose their gender identity. Racial identities were closely representative of the US population.
The MIRA model is popular for the examination of mental illness and race; however, our analyses only found support for sections of the model and not the model in its entirety. Specifically, tests showed relationships that are significant between stereotype activation, perceptions of danger, and attitudes about individuals with mental illness; however, implicit bias, blame attributions, and treatment responsibility failed to show significant relationships to attitudes. Explanations and implications for these discrepancies are considered as related to future work exploring mental illness depictions in the media, race, and attitudes toward those with a mental illness.
Much mental illness information appears to be obtained from media sources, including television and film (Pirkis et al., 2006). Media images surrounding mental illness are rife with stereotypes and negative imagery (Pirkis et al., 2006) and recall of these images appears to impact attitudes about mental illness (Myrick & Pavelko, 2017).
Despite the similarities between portrayals of mental illness in media, scholars have uncovered a handful of differences in the way media messages frame specific mental illnesses and disorders (Gwarjanski and Parrott, 2018; Parrott et al., 2020); and, there is evidence that suggests mental illnesses and disorders differ in their levels of negative attitudes (Feldman & Crandall, 2007); and, existing research surrounding media and depictions of mental illness largely ignores race (Parrott & Parrott, 2015).
Method
In this study to understand the MIRA model, a 2x3 experiment testing race (Black vs. White) by mental illness (Substance Use Disorder vs. Schizophrenia vs. Eating Disorder) was designed. To analyze this data, an SEM was completed to test the model fit and a series of ANCOVAs and stepped-regressions were used to fully explore these data.
Procedure
A two-wave design to control for priming effects was developed. In the first wave, participants gave their consent, and then took the implicit associations test (IAT) measuring implicit racism, and two weeks in the second wave, participants were randomly assigned to one of 9 groups. Six of these groups were experimental conditions, varied based on mental illness type and race, plus three control groups, one for each mental illness condition. Participants then answered a series of questions about stereotypes, racial bias, responsibility attributions, and attitudes towards individuals with mental illness.
Sample
The sample for this study came from a Qualtrics panel. A total of 1333 participants were involved in the first wave. The second wave had 628 participants, making the final sample 628.
Participants’ ages ranged from 22-94, with a mean age of 61. 60.8% identified as male, 39% identified as female, and one participant did not disclose their gender identity. Racial identities were closely representative of the US population.
The MIRA model is popular for the examination of mental illness and race; however, our analyses only found support for sections of the model and not the model in its entirety. Specifically, tests showed relationships that are significant between stereotype activation, perceptions of danger, and attitudes about individuals with mental illness; however, implicit bias, blame attributions, and treatment responsibility failed to show significant relationships to attitudes. Explanations and implications for these discrepancies are considered as related to future work exploring mental illness depictions in the media, race, and attitudes toward those with a mental illness.