Publication Date

Summer 2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Shinchieh Duh; Christina Tzeng; Désia Bacon

Keywords

cultural orientation;mental health;parent-child connectedness;perceptions;stigma

Abstract

An individual’s perception of mental health is likely shaped by multiple interrelated factors. Connecting research into mental health perceptions across racial groups and parental value transmission suggests that a strong parent-child relationship increases the likelihood of the child endorsing parental and cultural values. The current survey examined the following predictors of mental health stigma among 144 college students: cultural orientation (collectivist/individualist attitudes), cultural background (collectivist/individualist heritage) as mediated by perceived parental mental health stigma, and parent-child connectedness as moderating the mediation. As predicted, there were stronger links between parent and child mental health stigma when parent-child connectedness was stronger. The parent-child relationship thus bears weight on the participants’ attitudes toward mental health, although the relationship between connectedness and perceived similarity may be bidirectional. Contrary to prediction, the results regarding the cultural variables were mixed, suggesting the need to reconsider generic categories, measures of orientation, and orientation as blending several dimensions.

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