Can We Leave the Children Out of It? Ideology, Party, and Mental Illness Stigmatization

• In Event: Medical Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 2. Political Ideologies, Political Contexts, and Health

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested that stigmatization of mental illness is more common among political conservatives as compared to liberals. However, this research has yet to be extended to the case of children. Drawing on the 2024 General Social Survey, we utilize vignette data to investigate stigmatization. We obtain the first national evidence in the United States that political ideology indeed is related to stigmatizing mental health issues among children. Following this troubling result, we examine illness attributions as potential mediators. We find preliminary support for a partial explanation in greater endorsement of children’s character faults or problematic parenting as a cause of children’s mental illness.

Authors

• Matthew Andersson, Baylor University

• Max Elliott Coleman, University of Utah