Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Medicine

People experiencing relatively mild cases of mental ill-health may be perceived differently by others depending on whether or not diagnostic labels are provided

August 28, 2024
in Medicine
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
People experiencing relatively mild cases of mental ill-health may be perceived differently by others depending on whether or not diagnostic labels are provided
65
SHARES
592
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Diagnostic labels for people experiencing what some consider to be relatively milder forms of mental-ill health may affect how others perceive them for better and worse, according to a study published August 28, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Nick Haslam from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues.

People experiencing relatively mild cases of mental ill-health may be perceived differently by others depending on whether or not diagnostic labels are provided

Credit: Gordon Johnson

Diagnostic labels for people experiencing what some consider to be relatively milder forms of mental-ill health may affect how others perceive them for better and worse, according to a study published August 28, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Nick Haslam from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues.

In recent years, there’s been a general shift to increased diagnoses of mental ill-health. Here, Haslam and colleagues investigate the implications of diagnosing individuals presenting with mild or marginal symptoms. In this research, symptoms were judged to be mild or marginal by members of the public who rated different examples ranging in severity from clearly below to clearly above the diagnostic threshold as determined by a scale in a prior study.

Haslam and colleagues provided research participants (who were U.S. adults recruited from an online platform) with short vignettes describing people presenting with mild or marginal symptoms of different mental illnesses. 261 participants in Study 1 were given three labeled (“This person has a diagnosis of ___”) or unlabeled vignettes describing people presenting with symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). 684 participants in Study 2 were given one labeled or unlabeled vignette describing someone presenting with either post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or binge-eating disorder (BED). Participants were asked about their empathy for the described individual, their support in offering accommodations (e.g. “This person’s employer should not hesitate to offer them extra time to complete work-related tasks”), their suitability for mental health treatment, the persistence of their difficulties (e.g. “This person is likely to fully recover from their problems.”), and their identity (e.g. “This person’s problems are an important part of who they are” (Study 2 only)).

In Study 1, labeled individuals tended to elicit more empathy and be seen as more suitable for treatment versus unlabeled individuals, but were also believed to have more persistent problems. Study 2 differed from Study 1 in that there was no significant difference between empathy for labeled versus unlabeled individuals, but it also found that labelled individuals were seen to have less capacity to overcome their problems. Participants’ ratings varied significantly depending on the described disorder, with MDD and PTSD eliciting especially high empathy and accommodation support.

The results suggest that expansive diagnostic concepts that include relatively mild symptoms may promote help-seeking, empathy, and support, but also undermine perceived agency and expectations that problems can be overcome. It’s critical to remember that the severity of symptoms of individuals with the conditions referred to in this study can change over time and “mild” is subjective. Additionally, the choice to obtain or choose a diagnostic label is a personal one and varies between individuals, conditions and communities.

The authors add: “Applying diagnostic labels to relatively mild forms of distress has mixed blessings. Our research shows that it can increase empathy and support for the person, but also make their problems seem out of their control and harder to overcome.”

#####

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Mental Health: https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000096        

Citation: Altmann B, Fleischer K, Tse J, Haslam N (2024) Effects of diagnostic labels on perceptions of marginal cases of mental ill-health. PLOS Ment Health 1(3): e0000096.

Author Countries: Australia

Funding: This work was supported by Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP210103984 to NH. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.



Journal

PLOS Mental Health

DOI

10.1371/journal.pmen.0000096

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

COI Statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Share26Tweet16
Previous Post

Dark matter could have helped make supermassive black holes in the early universe

Next Post

Discovery explains the chemistry behind the cell’s energy molecule

Related Posts

blank
Medicine

Fennel Extract Influences Hormones in Infertile Women

October 1, 2025
blank
Medicine

First-Trimester Lipid Levels and Gestational Diabetes Risk

October 1, 2025
blank
Medicine

TMEM98: A Key Multifunctional Regulator in Cancer

October 1, 2025
blank
Medicine

Combining Foot and Leg Training Boosts Stability in Seniors

October 1, 2025
blank
Medicine

Research Reveals Connection Between Shift Work and Increased Kidney Stone Risk, Highlighting Lifestyle Influences

October 1, 2025
blank
Medicine

Gut Microbe Tryptophan Metabolite Impacts Pneumonia

October 1, 2025
Next Post
Magnus Wolf-Watz in the laboratory

Discovery explains the chemistry behind the cell's energy molecule

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27561 shares
    Share 11021 Tweet 6888
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    969 shares
    Share 388 Tweet 242
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    646 shares
    Share 258 Tweet 162
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    513 shares
    Share 205 Tweet 128
  • Groundbreaking Clinical Trial Reveals Lubiprostone Enhances Kidney Function

    476 shares
    Share 190 Tweet 119
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • MRI Radiomics Reveal Habenula Role in Depression
  • Fennel Extract Influences Hormones in Infertile Women
  • First-Trimester Lipid Levels and Gestational Diabetes Risk
  • United We Move: How Community Engagement Drives Adoption of New Transport Technologies

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,185 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading