Background: An outstanding question in the stigma literature is the extent to which negative responses are provoked by diagnostic labels, rather than observable symptoms of mental illness. Experimental studies frequently use vignettes to identify the unique effects of diagnostic labels on social responses to people with mental illness, independent of their behaviour or socio-demographic characteristics.
Aims: The current article identifies, evaluates, and synthesises the body of experimental vignette studies of labelling effects.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eligible studies were subjected to quality evaluation and narrative synthesis.
Results: Of 1511 articles screened, 22 met inclusion criteria. Most studies focused on the diagnostic categories of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and autism spectrum disorder. The literature reported diverse effects, with diagnostic disclosure either exacerbating, mitigating, or not affecting stigma. The quality of studies was generally acceptable but the review identified an over-reliance on convenience sampling and unvalidated measures.
Conclusions: Results highlight the complexity of labelling effects, which diverge across diagnostic categories and social contexts. The review emphasises the need for expansion of diagnostic labels and contexts studied, standardisation of validated attitude scales, incorporation of behavioural outcomes, and diversification of samples.
Keywords: Psychiatric diagnosis; experimental vignettes; labelling; mental illness; stigma.