Abstract
Mental illness stigma continues to be a significant issue globally. Those living with mental illness experience discrimination in various areas of their life, which has implications for their self-esteem, help-seeking behaviours, and quality of life. While there is a wealth of international literature regarding mental illness stigma, we know very little about these issues within the context of Aotearoa New Zealand (henceforth Aotearoa). Given this, the current thesis examined mental illness stigma in Aotearoa, focusing on identifying factors (e.g., age, gender, etc.) associated with this stigma. In Study 1A, we utilised data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS; n = 58,182). In addition to providing demographic information, participants were asked to rate their feelings of warmth towards those with mental illness. In Study 1B, we utilised data from the Health Promotion Agency (HPA; n = 3,518). The HPA data included more comprehensive measures of mental illness stigma (e.g., Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale), in addition to a measure of knowledge (i.e., Mental Health Knowledge Schedule). In both studies, we used linear mixed-effects models to assess the relationships between mental illness stigma and various predictors (e.g., age, biological sex, knowledge of mental illness). Across Study 1A and Study 1B, mental illness stigma was higher among Asian populations, older adults, those who did not know someone with mental illness, and those with less mental health knowledge. Conversely, mental illness stigma was lower among Māori and females. These findings have implications for understanding mental illness stigma in Aotearoa and informing interventions to reduce mental illness stigma. Given that research within Aotearoa is limited, further research is warranted, particularly regarding self-stigma and cultural understandings of mental illness.