Depression Stigma

Christopher Roth, Peter Schwardmann and Egon Tripodi

No 18919, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: Throughout history, people with mental illness have been discriminated against and stigmatized. Our experiment provides a new measure of perceived depression stigma and then investigates the causal effect of perceived stigma on help-seeking in a sample of 1,844 Americans suffering from depression. A large majority of our participants overestimate the extent of stigma associated with depression. In contrast to prior correlational evidence, lowering perceived social stigma through an information intervention leads to a reduction in the demand for psychotherapy. A mechanism experiment reveals that this information increases optimism about future mental health, thereby reducing the perceived need for therapy.

Date: 2024-03
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Working Paper: Depression Stigma (2024)
Working Paper: Depression Stigma (2024)
Working Paper: Depression Stigma (2024)
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