POSHA-MI (Mental Illness)

The majority of studies of public stigma have focused on mental illness (e.g., Crisp, Gelder, Rix, Meltzer, & Rowlands, 2000; Crisp, Gelder, Goddard, & Meltzer, 2005; Sartorius, Jablonsky, Korton, Ernberg, Anker, Cooper, & Day, 1986; Thompson et al., 2002). To our knowledge, there are no standard measures of public attitudes toward mental illness, so the POSHA-MI is under development. Several early pilot studies asked respondents to fill out attitudes toward mental illness, and all POSHA-S-E pilot studies included overall impression of, wanting to be, knowledge of, and person known with mental illness (e.g., St. Louis, Lubker, et al., 2008; St. Louis, Schiffbauer, Phillips, Sedlock, Hriblan, & Dayton, 2000). The only published research St. Louis, Roberts, Lukong, & Freese (2007) showed that an experimental version of the POSHA-MI, administered in to respondents in Canada and Cameroon in either English or French, whichever was the stronger language, can effectively be translated to another language. As with attitudes for stuttering, respondents’ ratings for mental illness were dramatically more effected by their country/culture than by either the English or French versions.

Considerable more research must be carried out with experimental versions of the POSHA-MI to determine test-retest reliability, concurrent and construct validity, and differential effects of convenience versus probability sampling. In addition, careful item analysis must be carried out to eliminate redundant items. Thereafter, it is important to estimate a “gold standard” for public attitudes toward mental illness, such as from experienced, mental health professionals.

Stakeholders or others wishing to carry out pilot studies with the POSHA-S regarding public attitudes toward mental illness are encouraged to contact the author.