Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33827725›Full record

SynthesisPsychological medicine2021

Continuum beliefs and mental illness stigma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of correlation and intervention studies.

Lina-Jolien Peter, Stephanie Schindler, Christian Sander, Silke Schmidt, Holger Muehlan, Thomas McLaren, Samuel Tomczyk, Sven Speerforck, Georg Schomerus

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Psychological medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
50citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

50 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Continuum beliefs of mental illness: a systematic review of measures.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2023
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  16. Working With People With Experience of Psychosis to Co-Design an Educational and Anti-Stigma Psychosis Intervention for Schools.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Lina-Jolien PeterLeipzig University, Medical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0635-6687
Stephanie SchindlerUniversity of Leipzig Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1378-0053
Christian SanderUniversity of Leipzig Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5402-6631
Silke SchmidtUniversity of Greifswald, Institute of Psychology, Department of Health and Prevention, Greifswald, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-4194-1937
Holger MuehlanUniversity of Greifswald, Institute of Psychology, Department of Health and Prevention, Greifswald, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8048-5682
Thomas McLarenUniversity of Greifswald, Institute of Psychology, Department of Health and Prevention, Greifswald, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8899-5476
Samuel TomczykUniversity of Greifswald, Institute of Psychology, Department of Health and Prevention, Greifswald, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2846-5489
Sven SpeerforckUniversity of Leipzig Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-9281-8461
Georg SchomerusLeipzig University, Medical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6752-463X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPromulgating a continuum model of mental health and mental illness has been proposed as a way to reduce stigma by decreasing notions of differentness. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines whether continuum beliefs are associated with lower stigma, and whether continuum interventions reduce stigma.

methodsFollowing a pre-defined protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42019123606), we searched three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) yielding 6726 studies. After screening, we included 33 studies covering continuum beliefs, mental illness, and stigma. Of these, 13 studies were included in meta-analysis.

resultsContinuum beliefs are consistently associated with lower stigma. Interventions were effective at manipulating continuum beliefs but differ in their effects on stigmatising attitudes.

conclusionsWe discuss whether and to what extent attitudes towards people with mental illness can be improved by providing information on a mental health-mental illness continuum. It appeared to be relevant whether interventions promoted a feeling of 'us' and a process of identification with the person with mental illness. We discuss implications for the design of future interventions.

Indexed as

Social StigmaStereotypingEmotionsHumansMental DisordersPhysical DistancingPsychological Distancecontinuum beliefscontinuum modelmental healthmeta-analysissocial distancestigmasystematic review

Identifiers

PMID33827725
PMCPMC8108391

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.