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Future Research Projects

"A Translational Research Center on Stigma and Mental Illness (TRCBS)"
Principal Investigator: P. Corrigan
Members of the CCSR have submitted a translational center grant application that would increase our funding allow us to continue our work another five years. The goal of the TRCBS is to advance the field of stigma research by developing and testing models that lead to the reduction of the stigma of mental illness. Our approach to this challenge will be guided by three major tenets. First, the proposed TRCBS will represent an integration of the theories and methods of basic behavioral science with the expertise of clinical and services research in mental health. Second, we propose to structure our TRCBS around a targeted approach focused on changing attitudes and behaviors of relevant power groups (e.g., employers, landlords, criminal justice system, legislators, and the health care system) as well as within the self. Third, to be optimally effective, it is essential that the TRCBS include members of various advocacy groups at all levels of research. This will facilitate the dissemination of our work.

"Two Perspectives from the Beat: Police Officer Interactions with Persons with Mental Illness"
Investigators: Amy Watson, Angie Rollins
A number of studies have examined how police officers perceive and respond to persons with mental illness. While varying in method and measures, these studies suggest that both officer and situational characteristics play a role. What these studies do not shed light on is factors influencing how officers initially approach and interact with persons with mental illness and the resulting impact on how the interaction proceeds. Virtually no research has examined the perspectives and experiences the other crucial stakeholder group in these situations-persons with serious mental illness. However, research on the experiences of persons with mental illness involved in other parts of the justice system; for example, mental health courts and civil commitment proceedings provides a useful point of departure. These studies have found that when individuals evaluate a legal interaction as being high in procedural justice (feel they have been treated fairly and respectfully), they report feeling less coerced and are more likely to cooperate with authorities. Procedural justice and perceived coercion are likely to influence experiences and outcomes in street level interactions between police officers and persons with mental illness as well. The purpose of this study is to gain a more in depth understanding of how both police officers and persons with mental illness experience contacts in the community, and examine perceptions of and attitudes toward procedural justice and coercion within these contacts.

"Stigma and Treatment Access and Adherence in Substance Abusing Adolescents at Risk for HIV-AIDS"
Investigators: P. Corrigan, John Prior, Fred Markowitz
Evidence-based substance abuse and related mental health treatments have been shown to decrease drug abuse and other at risk behaviors in adolescents which, in turn, diminish risk for HIV-AIDS and other infectious diseases. Unfortunately, large numbers of at-risk adolescents who might benefit from treatment fail to understand the nature of their problem, opt to never engage in such interventions, fail to adhere to treatment regimens once prescribed, or drop out prematurely. Stigma is one of many barriers that may impede a person's perception of, need for, access to, and full use of evidence- based treatments. Based on our own and other current research, three products of stigma seem relevant to understanding how stigma blocks progress in an illness career. (1) People often will not seek treatment in order to AVOID the egregious effects of THE LABEL. (2) People who self-identify as drug users and/or mentally ill may suffer DIMINISHED SELF-EFFICACY and believe that treatment will not be useful to them. (3) People who believe TREATMENT IS INEFFECTUAL or otherwise irrelevant will not choose to actively participate. Based on a translational research paradigm, the purpose of this project is to develop and test a comprehensive model of stigma and its effects on all elements of an illness career by adapting research models that have merged from basic behavioral investigations in social psychology and sociology on the broader topic of prejudice and discrimination. This proposal has been submitted to NIDA and NIMH.


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