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Biogenetic explanations and public acceptance of people with eating disorders

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

It has been assumed that biogenetic causal models may improve public attitudes toward people with mental illnesses. The present study examines whether biogenetic attributions are positively associated with acceptance of people suffering from these disorders.

Methods

Population surveys were conducted in two large German cities. Respondents were presented with a vignette depicting a young female suffering from either anorexia nervosa (N = 680) or bulimia nervosa (N = 667), followed by a fully structured interview including questions on causal attributions, emotional reactions and desire for social distance.

Results

Attribution to hereditary factors showed hardly any relationship with attitudes toward people with symptoms of eating disorders. Respondents who endorsed brain disease as a cause tended more to hold those afflicted responsible for their condition, they also expressed more negative emotions and a stronger preference for social distance.

Conclusions

Our results do not support the notion that promulgating biogenetic causal models of eating disorders helps decrease the stigma surrounding these illnesses; it may even entail the risk of increasing it.

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Acknowledgments

The study is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (01KQ1002B) in the frame of “psychenet—Hamburg network mental health” (2011–2014). Psychenet is part of the national program in which the City of Hamburg was given the title “Health Region of the Future” in 2010. The aim of the project is to promote mental health today and in the future, and to achieve an early diagnosis and effective treatment of mental illnesses. Further information and a list of all project partners can be found at http://www.psychenet.de. We would like to thank all respondents for taking part in the study and USUMA (Berlin) for conducting the telephone survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Public Mental Health, Untere Zeile 13, 3482, Gösing am Wagram, Austria

    Matthias C. Angermeyer

  2. Department of Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy

    Matthias C. Angermeyer

  3. Institute of Medical Sociology and Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Eva Mnich, Christopher Kofahl & Olaf von dem Knesebeck

  4. Department of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Anne Daubmann, Lena Herich & Karl Wegscheider

Authors
  1. Matthias C. Angermeyer
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  2. Eva Mnich
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  3. Anne Daubmann
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  4. Lena Herich
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  5. Karl Wegscheider
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  6. Christopher Kofahl
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  7. Olaf von dem Knesebeck
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthias C. Angermeyer.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Vignette anorexia nervosa

In the last weeks 15-year-old Anna has lost a lot of weight with a strict diet and lots of sports. Her parents’ attempts to persuade her to eat are rejected vehemently by Anna. She herself has the feeling that she is overweight, even though she is significantly underweight in the meantime. Additionally, she is very afraid of putting on weight again.

Vignette bulimia nervosa

15-year-old Bianca is very unhappy with her physique, even though her body weight is normal. She diets all the time because she wants to lose weight at all costs. Several times a week she experiences sudden cravings for food, then she eats big amounts of food in a short time. After that Bianca secretly vomits by putting a finger down her throat.

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Angermeyer, M.C., Mnich, E., Daubmann, A. et al. Biogenetic explanations and public acceptance of people with eating disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 1667–1673 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0648-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0648-9

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