Empathy Cuts Mental Illness Stigma More Than Pity Study Finds

How the public feels about mental illness and addiction shapes whether people seek care, and a new national study suggests that the specific emotion matters. Empathy reduces stigma more reliably than pity, researchers in Nevada found.

The study’s result has real meaning for anyone searching a treatment centers directory for mental health or dual diagnosis treatment. While states like Nevada already boast many inpatient programs, the emotional baggage that accompany these services often impact the way patients respond. Empathic care, the research implies, can maximize positive outcomes.

The Study’s Results

Using a nationally representative US sample of 5,264 adults, researchers Marta Elliott and James M. Ragsdale of the University of Nevada in Reno had participants read short vignettes describing a character with one of five conditions: subclinical distress, major depression, alcohol and opioid use disorder, or schizophrenia. The vignettes also varied the cause given for the condition (none, trauma, genetics and DNA, or both) and the treatment recommended (none, psychotherapy, or medication).

Using structural equation modeling, the team measured how pity and empathy affected “social distance,” essentially how much people wanted to keep their distance from the individual described.

Linking Mental and Emotional Health with Addiction

The findings speak directly to how behavioral health and substance use are perceived together. Empathy reduced social distance more consistently than pity did. Schizophrenia and substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder, evoked less empathy and more pity than other conditions.

That is a notable gap. The conditions that drew the least empathy are among those most likely to involve co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges. As stigma is often a barrier to seeking integrated care, people end up self-medicating as a means to cope, which unfortunately rarely works.

Reducing Stigma

Two findings stand out for treatment messaging. Explaining a condition as stemming from a traumatic event increased both pity and empathy. And recommending treatment, whether therapy or medication assisted treatment, enhanced empathy, though not pity.

The authors suggest that anti-stigma efforts may work better when they emphasize relatable experiences and trauma and present conditions as treatable, rather than leaning on pity, which can carry condescension.

Dual Diagnosis and Empathy

A dual diagnosis, also called co-occurring disorders, means a person has both a mental health condition and a substance use disorder at the same time, such as depression alongside alcohol use disorder, or PTSD alongside opioid use disorder. Since each condition can worsen the other, integrated treatment that addresses both together tends to produce better outcomes than treating either in isolation.

The study’s framing matters here, especially given that a lack of emotional awareness harms people’s own behavioral health and can fuel addictions. When the public sees these conditions as treatable health problems deserving of empathy, folks affected may feel more comfortable seeking the care they need.

Treatment Options for Mental Health and Addiction

Comprehensive behavioral health care spans several levels. Patients can explore residential treatment to outpatient programs that often combine evidence-based approaches such as behavioral therapy with medication management when appropriate.

Trauma-informed care can be especially relevant given the study’s findings on trauma, since addressing underlying trauma is often central to treating co-occurring conditions.

Find Comprehensive Care

If you’re looking for help for yourself or a loved one, you can take steps to address any and all underlying conditions. 

A great way to start is simply call 800-908-4823 (Sponsored) to speak with an expert. You can explore services and treatment options. Or, browse our directory of mental health and behavioral treatment centers by location and service.

Author

Quentin Blount

Content Manager

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Quentin brings nearly a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and digital publisher to his role as Content Manager for Rehab.com. He aims to help people better understand their treatment options by creating engaging and informative content that is user-friendly, factually accurate, and optimized for search engine visibility. In his free time, Quentin enjoys the company of his friends, family, and his dog, Coop.

Editor

Peter Lee, PhD

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Peter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history during the Cold War. His primary focus is the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century. He has published widely on how the public has used popular culture as a mechanism to address political and social shifts throughout time