Last but not least: I am *always* happy to speak to folks interested in examining these questions. For anybody with ideas, questions, or plans for putting this model into action: my email is in the paper!

We also dedicate space to best practices for measuring constructs like:

✔️Self-labeling
✔️Beliefs about mental illnesses
✔️The meanings people derive from mental illness labels

We hope these sections offer concrete tools that researchers can use right away.

In our paper, we provide examples of how this general approach can be used to investigate specific questions. One example: Can anxiety self-labeling become a “self-fulfilling prophecy”? (as articulated by the prevalence inflation hypothesis @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social @jackandrews.bsky.social)

The model goes like this: When people identify with mental illness labels, beliefs they hold about the mental illness become personally relevant. New identities may inform clinically relevant constructs like perceived control, coping strategies, and help-seeking.

So far, these questions have produced more opinions than evidence. We need empirical research.

The good news: Psychologists are not starting from scratch! Sociologists have studied (self-)labeling for decades. We review this literature and extend it in a new conceptual model.

The prevalence inflation hypothesis is heavily featured! @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social @jackandrews.bsky.social

The ducklings spent some time feeding among (and on top of!) the lilies, before drying off on a log

This was a great team effort with many fantastic contributors: @eminegurbuz.bsky.social, Josephine Cuda, @drstevenkapp.bsky.social, Abigail Houck, Jacquelyn Gates, @jschleiderphd.bsky.social, and @avanicole23.bsky.social