Beliefs about Schizophrenia in Italy: A Comparative Nationwide Survey of the General Public, Mental Health Professionals, and Patients' Relatives

Abstract

Objective:This study compared beliefs about the causes, treatments, and psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia in a sample of 714 lay respondents, 465 mental health professionals, and 709 key relatives of patients with this disorder. Method:We conducted the survey in 30 Italian geographic areas that we randomly selected after considering location and population density. We used the Questionnaire About Opinions on Mental Illness (QO) to collect data. Results:Of those surveyed, 34% of the lay respondents, 20% of the professionals, and 68% of the relatives stated that schizophrenia is exclusively caused by psychosocial factors. Lay respondents' opinions on patients' civil rights and social competence tended to be more similar to those expressed by professionals then to those reported by relatives. Lay respondents differed from the other 2 groups in their beliefs regarding the effectiveness of psychological treatments, patients' unpredictability, and whether patients should be admitted to asylums. Conclusions:These results suggest that the general public needs to be better informed about schizophrenia's main characteristics, available treatments, and risk for dangerous behaviours. The existing gap among the study's target populations could be reduced through campaigns aimed at increasing public awareness of the affective and civil rights of patients. (Can J Psychiatry 2004;49:323-331)

Public Knowledge and Attitude Toward Depression and Schizophrenia: Findings From Quantitative Study in Uae

“…Community's beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge regarding mental illness will affect the disease detection and health outcome. An essential objective of mental health research is to prompt solution to reduce stigma [21]. Thus, the aim of the current study was to determine current attitudes and knowledge toward schizophrenia and depression, evaluate the extent to which demographic factors are associated with knowledge and attitude, and to determine the stigma pattern among UAE population to schizophrenia and depression.…”

Farm Advisors’ reflections on Mental Health First Aid training

“…Suicide rates across most age groups for men are higher in rural and remote areas and for women in the Community surveys of mental health literacy have found that many members of the public lack knowledge about mental illness. They do not correctly recognise specific illness, have beliefs about treatments which are at variance with those of health professionals, have simplistic beliefs about causes, and frequently hold stigmatising attitudes (Angermeyer, Breier, Dietrich et al, 2005;Croghan, Tomlin, Pescosolido et al, 2003;Jorm, Argermeyer & Katschnig, 2000;Jorm, Kitchener, Kanowski & Kelly, 2007;Lauber, Nordt, Falcato & Rössler, 2003;Magliano, Fiorillo, De Rosa et al, 2004;Martínez-González & Trujillo-Mendoza, 2005;Priest, Vize, Roberts et al, 1996). This lack of knowledge and the stigma associated with mental illness contribute to the lack of appropriate support that may be offered to sufferers by colleagues and family members.…”

Mental health literacy about depression and schizophrenia among Swedish teenagers: a vignette study

“…Among countries that have studied mental health literacy, Italy, Malaysia and Australia, studies have been done in both public's ability to recognize mental disorders and the public's beliefs about treatment (Jorm et al, 1997;Magliano, Fiorillo, De Rosa, Malangone, Maj, 2004;Swami, Furnham, Kannan, Sinniah, 2008). When the results revealed lay public's poor mental health literacy, this led many of these countries to intervene through national awareness campaigns.…”