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The Effects of Direct-To-Consumer-Advertising on Mental Illness Beliefs and Stigma

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Abstract

Despite widespread use, little is known about how video direct-to-consumer-advertising (DTCA) influences beliefs about or stigma towards mental illness. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a medication advertisement on beliefs and stigma towards one mental disorder—bipolar disorder. A total of 424 participants were randomly assigned to view a medication or automobile advertisement and completed measures of beliefs and stigma towards bipolar disorder before and immediately after the advertisement. The medication advertisement did not lead to changes in perception of biological etiology, but did lead to increases in perception of prevalence, treatability, and controllability. No substantive changes were noted in stigma. In contrast to previous research and speculation, DTCA did not have an immediate, substantial impact on stigma or contribute to the “medicalization” of mental disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Northern Iowa, Bartlett Hall 1078, Cedar Falls, IA, 50614-0505, USA

    Seth A. Brown

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  1. Seth A. Brown
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Correspondence to Seth A. Brown.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants include in the study.

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Brown, S.A. The Effects of Direct-To-Consumer-Advertising on Mental Illness Beliefs and Stigma. Community Ment Health J 53, 534–541 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-017-0121-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-017-0121-z

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