Stigma and Health, Vol 10(2), May 2025, 176-186; doi:10.1037/sah0000563
Media health campaigns often seek to bring awareness to medical conditions and to eradicate or, at least, minimize stigma. However, these campaigns can result in unintended consequences. In the current work, we examined elements of anorexia nervosa messages. Specifically, we compare a more biofocused approach to one focused on treatment. In doing so, we build on mindset theory and suggest that a biofocused message sends more of a static and stable message (fixed mindset), whereas treatment-focused communications send an implicit message that anorexia can change (growth mindset). We investigate how these messages and mindsets relate to stigma. Across three studies, participants in the growth mindset message (e.g., change is possible with treatment), relative to the fixed mindset message (e.g., anorexia is rooted in biology) conditions, reported greater blame, and via this mechanism, more stigma. However, they also reported less essentialism, and via this mechanism, less stigma. There were no changes in the levels of stigma across conditions. We conclude with the importance of understanding potential unintended consequences that can result from different health campaigns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)