Lessons from social psychology on discrediting psychiatric stigma

Advocacy, government, and public-service groups rely on a variety of strate gies to diminish the impact of stigma on persons with severe mental illness . These strategies include protest, education, and promoting contact betwee n the general public and persons with these disorders. The authors argue th at social psychological research on ethnic minority and other group stereot ypes should be considered when implementing these strategies. Such research indicates that (a) attempts to suppress stereotypes through protest can re sult in a rebound effect; (b) education programs may be limited because man y stereotypes are resilient to change; and (c) contact is enhanced by a var iety of factors, including equal status, cooperative interaction, and insti tutional support. Future directions for research and practice to reduce sti gma toward persons with severe mental illness are discussed.