In this study, the paths between two prejudicial attitudes (authoritarianism and benevolence) and a proxy measure of behavioral discrimination (social distance) were examined in a sample drawn from the general public. Moreover, the effects of two person variables (familiarity with mental illness and ethnicity) on prejudice were examined in the path analysis. One hundred fifty-one research participants completed measures of prejudice toward, social distance from, and familiarity with mental illness. Goodness-of-fit indexes from path analyses supported our hypotheses. Social distance is influenced by both kinds of prejudice: authoritarianism (the belief that persons with mental illness cannot care for themselves, so a paternalistic health system must do so) and benevolence (the belief that persons with mental illness are innocent and childlike). These forms of prejudice, in turn, are influenced by the believers' familiarity with mental illness and their ethnicity. We also discuss how these findings might contribute to a fuller understanding of mental illness stigma.

Bass's (1990) multifactor model contrasts transformational and transactional styles of leadership with an essentially ineffective style: laissez-faire leadership. This study examines the relationship between these leadership styles and measures of organizational culture and staff burnout in mental health services teams. There were 236 leaders and 620 subordinates from 54 mental health teams who provided their perceptions of leadership style, organizational culture, and burnout in their program. Results show transformational leadership to be positively associated with a cohesive organizational culture and negatively associated with burnout. Moreover, leaders and subordinates differ in their ratings of transformational leadership-leaders viewed themselves more positively. These findings are helpful for understanding the central role of leaders in the organizational structure of teams.

The chronic distress many consumers experience may be a result of perpetuating factors associated with lifestyle rather than with the signs and symptoms associated with a formal diagnosis. Frequently, these individuals require a highly structured treatment environment to maximize contact with the contingencies associated with effective illness management and social skills. Functional Analytic Rehabilitation (FAR) is a behavioral approach which keeps consumers in contact with relevant contextual factors as they participate in traditional curriculum-based interventions (e.g., UCLA and DBT skills training). Thus, the program is organized with the goal of creating a functional similarity with real-life environments. As a result, behavioral momentum is developed to maintain social effectiveness and to overcome the numerous disincentives to participating in community-based activities.

In an attempt to facilitate the dissemination and regular implementation of behaviour treatments in real-world settings, research has examined staff attitudes that may pose barriers to these treatments. The purpose of the study reported in this paper is to examine the construct validity of perceived organisational barriers to behavioural programs. One hundred and eighteen staff working in community-based treatment programs for adults and children with severe mental illness completed the Barriers to the Implementation of Behavior Therapy Test. An analysis from a previous study (Corrigan, Kwartarini, & Pramana, 1992) identified two reliable and valid factors that suggested perceived organisational barriers: institutional constraints and insufficient collegial support. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis on data from this study supported the earlier factor structure. Research participants also completed team functioning measures of individual staff burnout, collegial network satisfaction, organisational culture, and team leadership. Attitudes about institutional constraints and insufficient collegial support were found to be associated with burnout, collegial network satisfaction, and organisational culture. Strategies for disseminating behavioural programs must target organisational barriers too.