"I'm Not Mentally Ill": Identity Deflection as a Form of Stigma Resistance

Mental illness identity deflection refers to rebuffing the idea that one is mentally ill. Predictors of identity deflection and its consequences for well-being were examined for individuals with mental disorders in the National Comorbidity Study-Replication (N = 1,368). Respondents more often deflected a mental illness identity if they had a nonsevere disorder, had low impairment in functioning, had no treatment experience, viewed possible treatment as undesirable, and held multiple social roles, consistent with theory about stigma resistance. Persons who deflected a mental illness identity had lower distress and more positive affect than those who accepted it, even net of disorder severity, impairment level, and treatment experience. Among those who had ever been in treatment, deflection buffered the negative effects of serious impairment but exacerbated the effects of having a severe disorder on well-being, suggesting more complex consequences of formal labeling (greater stigma but helpful services), consistent with previous research.