Social Media, Stigma, and Mental Health Diagnosis
Disciplines
Social Psychology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Many studies examining the relationship between social media and mental health stigma focus on the dramatization and malingering of mental illnesses, specifically how social media encourages its users to fake having a condition for attention. Despite malingering online being a growing topic, little research has been conducted to examine if the phenomenon of online malingering affects how stigma manifests itself. My study attempts to answer the question, “How does frequent social media usage affect one’s level of stigma against mental disorders and their likelihood to believe someone who claims to be mentally ill?” by comparing stigma ratings and time spent on social media. This was done through collecting data from 2 groups, each containing 30 participants: those who spend less than 4 hours on social media and those who spend 4 or more hours on it. Each group of participants's data was completed using the Endorsed and Anticipated Stigma Inventory (EASI) in the form of a self report survey.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Anisah Bagasra
Social Media, Stigma, and Mental Health Diagnosis
Many studies examining the relationship between social media and mental health stigma focus on the dramatization and malingering of mental illnesses, specifically how social media encourages its users to fake having a condition for attention. Despite malingering online being a growing topic, little research has been conducted to examine if the phenomenon of online malingering affects how stigma manifests itself. My study attempts to answer the question, “How does frequent social media usage affect one’s level of stigma against mental disorders and their likelihood to believe someone who claims to be mentally ill?” by comparing stigma ratings and time spent on social media. This was done through collecting data from 2 groups, each containing 30 participants: those who spend less than 4 hours on social media and those who spend 4 or more hours on it. Each group of participants's data was completed using the Endorsed and Anticipated Stigma Inventory (EASI) in the form of a self report survey.