The current research examined the interaction of race and mental illness stereotypes to determine if there is a racial stereotype about mental illness. Study 1 (N = 144) showed that participants predominantly imagined White people when thinking about mental disorders and rated mental disorders as most typical of Whites. Participants in Study 2 (N = 162) rated Whites as best fitting their image of patient in a mental hospital. Study 3 (N = 510) demonstrated that the White racial stereotype of mental illness occurs across races but that it is significantly less common among nonwhites. Participants in Study 4 (N = 279) perceived mental illness as least likely among Asians, followed by Blacks and Whites. The results show that people stereotypically associate mental illness more with Whites than other races. Such a belief could help to explain racial discrepancies in mental health care and the interpretation of problematic behaviors.
Keywords: Stereotypes; mental illness; race; stereotype interaction.