Positive Reframing of Psychosis Risk Reduces Clinicians’ Social Stigma: An Experimental Videotaped Simulated Feedback Session Study

Recent research from our group (Sol-Nottes et al., 2024) demonstrated that mental health professionals (MHPs) perceive positive framing of psychosis risk—which emphasizes the preservation of intact abilities under high risk rather than the prevention of impending illness—as less stigmatizing and frightening, while fostering greater hope and help-seeking compared to negative framing. However, while that study examined MHPs’ perceptions of the effect of framing on youth at risk and their families, it left open the question of how positive versus negative framing influences MHPs’ attitudes and desire for social distance toward adolescents at risk. The aim of the present study was to address this gap. A total of 148 MHPs viewed simulated diagnostic feedback sessions framed either positively (e.g., “intact healthy common sense at high risk”) or negatively (e.g., “high risk for psychosis”). Participants then rated social stigma (Attribution Questionnaire–9) and social distance scale toward the adolescent. Compared to negative framing, positive framing significantly reduced stigma—particularly in pity and blame—and decreased desire for social distance, especially regarding friendship. These findings suggest that positive reframing of psychosis risk not only improves MHPs’ perceptions but also shapes MHPs’ attitudes and behavioral intentions toward at-risk youth. Consequently, they further underscore the need for real-world clinical studies to assess the application of positive framing in practice.