Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Genetic Counseling

Although there is an abundant amount of research highlighting internalized and associative stigma, studies focusing on the degree of prejudice about mental illness in individuals who do not have close contact to someone with a diagnosed mental illness is limited. With a specific focus on the concept of prejudice driving discriminatory behavior, this study had three specific aims to address this gap in literature; 1. Identify stigmatizing thoughts and attitudes individuals have towards diagnosed mental illness. 2. Assess understanding of causes and risk factors for mental illness. 3. Evaluate the impact of an educational video explaining the multifactorial inheritance of psychiatric illness on attitudes and knowledge about mental illness. To meet these aims, potential study participants were identified and recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Potential participants were screened using worker qualifications that allowed pre-vetting of participants using a list of screener questions. Inclusion criteria was comprised of the following: 1. Participants must be over the age of 18, 2. Participants must live in the United States and Canada, 3. Participants must have access to the internet, 4. Participants must have the ability to read English, 5. Participants must not have a personal history of a diagnosed mental illness, and 6. Participants must not have a first-degree family member with a diagnosed mental illness. Once eligible participants were identified, individuals were invited to participate in the study which was administered online using RedCap. Among 181 individuals screened; 106 individuals completed the entire survey. Participants viewed a 4-minute info-graphic video highlighting the jar model analogy and the complex inheritance of mental illness. They also completed pre- and post-video surveys with questions measuring prejudicial views towards people with a mental illness using the Prejudice towards People with Mental Illness (PPMI) scale and factua (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Amber Aeilts (Committee Member); Jehannine Austin Dr. (Committee Member); Dawn Allain (Advisor) Subjects: Genetics; Health Care