Abstract
People with depression, a commonly stigmatized disease, often experience discrimination that can negatively impact their academic achievement, access to housing, and health outcomes. Mediated intergroup contact (MIC) suggests that positive media representations of mental illness can attenuate the stigmatizing attitudes held by the general public and promote behaviors that may close the disparate gaps in health outcomes. However, much of the research on MIC focuses on how high-status social groups (e.g., neurotypical groups) perceive and react to stigmatized social groups (e.g., neurodivergent groups). Therefore, this study examined how exposure to one of three narratives about depression (vs. a nonhealthrelated narrative control) impacted individuals diagnosed with depression (n = 414) and individuals never diagnosed with depression (n = 350). Findings suggest that those never diagnosed with depression reported more theoretically consistent results regarding intergroup attitudes and behavioral intentions to participate in intergroup interactions and vote on health policies, while those diagnosed with depression had more mixed results. The expected similarities and unexpected differences between the groups may inform theoretical implications regarding MIC generally and practical suggestions regarding the use of entertainment media as an intervention to promote intergroup and intragroup relationships and avoid self-stigma among those diagnosed with a stigmatized disease. © 2025 American Psychological Association