{"id":{"repo_id":"umkc","oai_identifier":"oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/61364"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/umkc/oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/61364","repository":{"repo_id":"umkc","name":"University of Missouri - Kansas City","base_url":"https://mospace.umsystem.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"On ‘Clear and Present Danger’: The Influence of Firearm Legislation on College Student Perceptions of Mental Illness and Treatment-Seeking Intentions","abstract":"Mental illness (MI) stigma is considered a primary barrier to seeking and remaining in treatment. Mental health experts argue that directly targeting persons with MI in an effort to reduce gun violence may increase public stigma via further associating MI with dangerousness and increasing public preferences for social distance. The present study experimentally investigated whether firearm laws targeting persons with MI who are considered to be a ‘clear and present danger’ to themselves and others can increase MI stigma (i.e., dangerousness, social distance) and ultimately decrease treatment-seeking intentions among college students. Examining mental health reporting practices imposed by such laws poses important questions about their influence on whether people are less likely to seek necessary treatments pending personal distress. The empirical evidence from a variety of research studies largely does not support the effectiveness of these laws. The current study differs from previous research by directly exposing participants to how these reporting provisions impact limits to confidentiality in the therapy process to determine whether they influence differences in treatment-seeking intentions and MI stigma. Additionally, this study examined whether perceived dangerousness and preference for social distance mediate the relationships between exposure to these reporting provisions and treatment-seeking intention. Two-hundred and twenty-nine undergraduate students were randomly-assigned by gender to read a therapy consent form containing clear and present danger reporting laws (CPD) or a standard therapy consent without these laws (control). Participants then completed measures of treatment-seeking intentions, perceived dangerousness, and preference for social distance. Contrary to hypotheses, perceived dangerousness, preference for social distance, and treatment-seeking intentions did not differ between the CPD and control conditions. Furthermore, dangerousness and social distance did not mediate the relationship between CPD conditions and intention to seek treatment. Findings do not support concerns that firearm laws directly targeting MI populations may increase stigma and decrease treatment-seeking intentions. Implications for MI populations, future research, and CPD laws are discussed.","abstract_html":"Mental illness (MI) stigma is considered a primary barrier to seeking and remaining in treatment. Mental health experts argue that directly targeting persons with MI in an effort to reduce gun violence may increase public stigma via further associating MI with dangerousness and increasing public preferences for social distance. The present study experimentally investigated whether firearm laws targeting persons with MI who are considered to be a ‘clear and present danger’ to themselves and others can increase MI stigma (i.e., dangerousness, social distance) and ultimately decrease treatment-seeking intentions among college students. Examining mental health reporting practices imposed by such laws poses important questions about their influence on whether people are less likely to seek necessary treatments pending personal distress. The empirical evidence from a variety of research studies largely does not support the effectiveness of these laws. The current study differs from previous research by directly exposing participants to how these reporting provisions impact limits to confidentiality in the therapy process to determine whether they influence differences in treatment-seeking intentions and MI stigma. Additionally, this study examined whether perceived dangerousness and preference for social distance mediate the relationships between exposure to these reporting provisions and treatment-seeking intention. Two-hundred and twenty-nine undergraduate students were randomly-assigned by gender to read a therapy consent form containing clear and present danger reporting laws (CPD) or a standard therapy consent without these laws (control). Participants then completed measures of treatment-seeking intentions, perceived dangerousness, and preference for social distance. Contrary to hypotheses, perceived dangerousness, preference for social distance, and treatment-seeking intentions did not differ between the CPD and control conditions. Furthermore, dangerousness and social distance did not mediate the relationship between CPD conditions and intention to seek treatment. Findings do not support concerns that firearm laws directly targeting MI populations may increase stigma and decrease treatment-seeking intentions. Implications for MI populations, future research, and CPD laws are discussed.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fowler, Christopher Anthony"],"institution":"University of Missouri--Kansas City","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"Psychology (UMKC)","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Rempfer, Melisa V."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017","date_published":"2017","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:18:34Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10355/61364","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Rempfer, Melisa V."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Fowler, Christopher Anthony"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2017-08-22T16:14:54Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-08-22T16:14:54Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2017"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Missouri--Kansas City"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology (UMKC)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Missouri--Kansas City"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10355/61364"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Title from PDF of title page viewed August 28, 2017","Dissertation advisor: Melisa Rempfer","Vita","Includes bibliographical references (pages 133-165)","Thesis (Ph.D.)--Department of Psychology. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2017"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Mental illness (MI) stigma is considered a primary barrier to seeking and remaining in treatment. Mental health experts argue that directly targeting persons with MI in an effort to reduce gun violence may increase public stigma via further associating MI with dangerousness and increasing public preferences for social distance. The present study experimentally investigated whether firearm laws targeting persons with MI who are considered to be a ‘clear and present danger’ to themselves and others can increase MI stigma (i.e., dangerousness, social distance) and ultimately decrease treatment-seeking intentions among college students. Examining mental health reporting practices imposed by such laws poses important questions about their influence on whether people are less likely to seek necessary treatments pending personal distress. The empirical evidence from a variety of research studies largely does not support the effectiveness of these laws. The current study differs from previous research by directly exposing participants to how these reporting provisions impact limits to confidentiality in the therapy process to determine whether they influence differences in treatment-seeking intentions and MI stigma. Additionally, this study examined whether perceived dangerousness and preference for social distance mediate the relationships between exposure to these reporting provisions and treatment-seeking intention. Two-hundred and twenty-nine undergraduate students were randomly-assigned by gender to read a therapy consent form containing clear and present danger reporting laws (CPD) or a standard therapy consent without these laws (control). Participants then completed measures of treatment-seeking intentions, perceived dangerousness, and preference for social distance. Contrary to hypotheses, perceived dangerousness, preference for social distance, and treatment-seeking intentions did not differ between the CPD and control conditions. Furthermore, dangerousness and social distance did not mediate the relationship between CPD conditions and intention to seek treatment. Findings do not support concerns that firearm laws directly targeting MI populations may increase stigma and decrease treatment-seeking intentions. Implications for MI populations, future research, and CPD laws are discussed."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["On ‘Clear and Present Danger’: The Influence of Firearm Legislation on College Student Perceptions of Mental Illness and Treatment-Seeking Intentions"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Rempfer, Melisa V."],"dc:creator":["Fowler, Christopher Anthony"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2017-08-22T16:14:54Z"],"dc:date.available":["2017-08-22T16:14:54Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2017"],"dc:description":["Title from PDF of title page viewed August 28, 2017","Dissertation advisor: Melisa Rempfer","Vita","Includes bibliographical references (pages 133-165)","Thesis (Ph.D.)--Department of Psychology. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2017"],"dc:description.abstract":["Mental illness (MI) stigma is considered a primary barrier to seeking and remaining in treatment. Mental health experts argue that directly targeting persons with MI in an effort to reduce gun violence may increase public stigma via further associating MI with dangerousness and increasing public preferences for social distance. The present study experimentally investigated whether firearm laws targeting persons with MI who are considered to be a ‘clear and present danger’ to themselves and others can increase MI stigma (i.e., dangerousness, social distance) and ultimately decrease treatment-seeking intentions among college students. Examining mental health reporting practices imposed by such laws poses important questions about their influence on whether people are less likely to seek necessary treatments pending personal distress. The empirical evidence from a variety of research studies largely does not support the effectiveness of these laws. The current study differs from previous research by directly exposing participants to how these reporting provisions impact limits to confidentiality in the therapy process to determine whether they influence differences in treatment-seeking intentions and MI stigma. Additionally, this study examined whether perceived dangerousness and preference for social distance mediate the relationships between exposure to these reporting provisions and treatment-seeking intention. Two-hundred and twenty-nine undergraduate students were randomly-assigned by gender to read a therapy consent form containing clear and present danger reporting laws (CPD) or a standard therapy consent without these laws (control). Participants then completed measures of treatment-seeking intentions, perceived dangerousness, and preference for social distance. Contrary to hypotheses, perceived dangerousness, preference for social distance, and treatment-seeking intentions did not differ between the CPD and control conditions. Furthermore, dangerousness and social distance did not mediate the relationship between CPD conditions and intention to seek treatment. Findings do not support concerns that firearm laws directly targeting MI populations may increase stigma and decrease treatment-seeking intentions. Implications for MI populations, future research, and CPD laws are discussed."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10355/61364"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:publisher":["University of Missouri--Kansas City"],"dc:title":["On ‘Clear and Present Danger’: The Influence of Firearm Legislation on College Student Perceptions of Mental Illness and Treatment-Seeking Intentions"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology (UMKC)"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Missouri--Kansas City"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:18:34Z"}