The Impact of Depression Representations on Stigma in the Hispanic/Latinx Community

Depression is often stigmatized within the Hispanic/Latinx community. However, there are minimal short-term interventions targeted to reduce stigma in this population. The present study examined the effect of a brief representation intervention on depression stigma in the Hispanic/Latinx community. Participants included 272 U.S. Hispanic/Latinx adults who completed measures in January 2025 on depression stigma and stigma toward depression treatment before they were randomized into reading one of three vignettes: an individual with depression who was functioning well and receiving treatment (counterstereotypical representation), an individual with depression who was not functioning well or receiving treatment (stereotypical representation), and an individual without depression (control). Subsequently, participants completed the stigma measures again. There was a significant interaction between time and group for depression stigma. Both the counterstereotypical and control groups experienced a reduction in depression stigma from pre- to post-intervention, and the counterstereotypical group had significantly lower depression stigma than the stereotypical group at post-intervention. There was a significant main effect of time for stigma toward depression treatment such that there was a reduction in stigma toward depression treatment from pre- to post-intervention across all groups. These findings suggest that counterstereotypical depression representations can mitigate stigma toward depression within the Hispanic/Latinx community. Educational representations about depression could be employed in schools, workplaces, entertainment outlets, and social media.