How Personal Attitudes Affect Potential Social Connections and Perceived Cognitive Behavioral Abilities.

Stigma is one of the leading causes in why those with mental health illnesses do not seek professional help and psychiatric treatment. The present study was designed in order to explore the likelihood of an individual choosing to social distance and change their cognitive and behavior attitudes based on knowledge of a disclosed depression disorder. Participants were asked to read two vignettes, one portraying a depressed individual attending a school organization fair and one portraying an individual interested in school activities at the school organization fair. After reading the vignettes, participants were asked to recall information about the vignette and answer questions about the likelihood they would socially distance themselves from the vignette individual as well as how questions about their thoughts and behavior were around the individual. The hypotheses for this study are 1) although in emerging adulthood, individuals will have social distance based on knowledge of mental health illness, with the current undergraduate population having an increased exposure to depression, there will be no difference between vignette individuals on the basis of social distance; 2) there will be more negative cognitions towards the individual believed to be depressed; 3) individuals will be less likely to engage with a peer appearing depressed.