Vertical individualism orientations and mental health stigma: the mediating role of belief in free will

Even though the stigma related to mental health is widespread, stigma related to suicide and substance use are less researched areas. This study investigates whether belief in free will mediates the association between vertical individualism and stigma against those who use substances or attempt suicide. Turkish adult participants ( n = 200, M age = 29.8, SD = 11.9) completed self-report measures of cultural orientation, belief in free will, substance use stigma, and suicide stigma. Results revealed that individuals’ belief in free will mediates the association of vertical individualism with both suicide and substance use stigma. This suggests that free will belief may be one of the ways in which cultural orientations are linked to stigma. These results can contribute to the design of sophisticated stigma reduction interventions that take into account belief in free will and cultural orientation.