3 - (SYM 89) A Comparison of Stigmatizing Language Used to Describe Personality Disorders

Labels used to describe mental illness can be highly stigmatizing. Personality disorders (PD) are particularly highly stigmatized, with individuals with PDs often described using pejorative terms. These descriptors can impact clinicians’ a priori expectations and increase the likelihood of stigmatization, discrimination, or early termination. The language used to describe PDs in alternative diagnostic classification systems may additionally contribute to negative perception of these disorders. However, the degree to which terms used in these diagnostic classification systems are stigmatizing has never been examined. This study aimed to explore the level of perceived stigma brought on by the terms used and to compare which classification systems are reported as less stigmatizing in three samples. Two-hundred eighteen people with lived experience of a PD and seventy-five mental healthcare providers were recruited from social media and email listservs to take an online survey on experiences of stigma and stigmatizing attitudes towards people with PDs. Additionally, seven-hundred thirty-two undergraduate psychology students were recruited via SONA subject pool. Each participant rated descriptors from the three major classification systems for PDs (e.g., HiTOP, DSM-5 Categorical Model, DSM-5 Alternative Model) on a five-point Likert scale the degree to which each descriptor is stigmatizing. We conducted one-way ANOVAs to assess for differences in perceived stigma between the classification systems for each of the samples. Results indicated there was not a statistically significant difference in mean rating of stigma between classification systems among individuals with lived experience of a PD or among undergraduate students. Post-hoc analyses found healthcare providers rated HiTOP labels as least stigmatizing and DSM-5 categorical model labels as most stigmatizing.Overall, each classification system was rated as slightly to moderately stigmatizing. While some classification systems may be somewhat less stigmatizing, no single system as exists currently is clearly non-stigmatizing.