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Schizophrenia Bulletin 2004 30(3):477-479;
© 2004 by Oxford University Press and the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC)
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© Oxford University Press

At Issue

Stop the Stigma: Call Mental Illness a Brain Disease

Patrick W. Corrigan, Psy.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Amy C. Watson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Northwestern University Evanston, IL

Send reprint requests to Dr. P.W. Corrigan, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, 1033 University Place, Suite 450, Evanston, IL 60201; e-mail: p-corrigan{at}uchicago.edu

Educating the public that mental illness is a brain disease is a popular strategy for combating mental illness stigma. Evidence suggests that while such an approach reduces blame for mental illness, it may unintentionally exacerbate other components of stigma, particularly the benevolence and dangerousness stigmas. Conversely, psychosocial explanations have proven promising, yet they ignore the growing evidence regarding genetic and biological factors. We propose a balanced approach that combats the various myths about mental illness with factual information.

Keywords: Stigma / brain disease / mental illness


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