Factors moderating the relationship between peer contact and self-stigma in people with mental illness

Recent evidence suggests that peer contact may reduce self-stigma in people with mental illness as intergroup contact does public stigma. Specifically, it has been hypothesized that contact with peers who disconfirm stereotypes, compared to confirming stereotypes, may be most effective. Other characteristics of peers and individual's interactions may also moderate this relationship, such as similarity in mental health concerns; the context, content, and valence of interactions; and the closeness of the relationship between peers. In total, 1,100 Australian adults with mental illness completed an online survey evaluating the frequency of peer contact and the characteristics of participants' most frequent interactions. Consistent with previous research, there was a significant negative relationship between peer contact and self-stigma. Notably, this was stronger when peers were perceived as less similar and less close to participants. The other examined characteristics did not appear to influence the strength of this relationship, although they correlated with self-stigma in noteworthy ways. These results may inform an expansion of the intergroup contact hypothesis into internalized stigma. They may also support the deployment of existing intergroup contact interventions to reduce self-stigma, which may be less threatening to people with mental illness compared to existing interventions.