Mentally III, Public Attitudes towards

TY - CHAP

T1 - Mentally III, Public Attitudes towards

AU - Bhugra, Dinesh

AU - Evans-Lacko, Sara

AU - Cutter, W.

PY - 2015/3/26

Y1 - 2015/3/26

N2 - Attitudes and behavior toward those with mental illness and those who deal with mental illness are important to study for a number of reasons. These reasons include engagement with services but also research and service funding. Numerous studies have shown high prevalence of negative attitudes among the general public toward people with mental illness, such as beliefs that people with mental illness are dangerous, lack will power, and are unreliable. Attitudes can be assessed individually; but, attitudes often reflect cultural context and in turn are influenced by a number of other factors. The formation of attitudes can be related to upbringing, past experience, knowledge, and other variables. Although attitudes do not always turn into behavior, public attitudes can have significant consequences for people with mental illness including higher rates of mortality, higher levels of self-stigma, lower levels of empowerment, lower levels of help-seeking, and higher rates of unemployment (S. Evans-Lacko et al., 2012; Hatzenbuehler et al., 2013; Rüsch et al., 2005; Schomerus et al., 2014). Awareness of attitudes and beliefs among the public is germane for developing primary prevention programs, early intervention, and community-based treatments.

AB - Attitudes and behavior toward those with mental illness and those who deal with mental illness are important to study for a number of reasons. These reasons include engagement with services but also research and service funding. Numerous studies have shown high prevalence of negative attitudes among the general public toward people with mental illness, such as beliefs that people with mental illness are dangerous, lack will power, and are unreliable. Attitudes can be assessed individually; but, attitudes often reflect cultural context and in turn are influenced by a number of other factors. The formation of attitudes can be related to upbringing, past experience, knowledge, and other variables. Although attitudes do not always turn into behavior, public attitudes can have significant consequences for people with mental illness including higher rates of mortality, higher levels of self-stigma, lower levels of empowerment, lower levels of help-seeking, and higher rates of unemployment (S. Evans-Lacko et al., 2012; Hatzenbuehler et al., 2013; Rüsch et al., 2005; Schomerus et al., 2014). Awareness of attitudes and beliefs among the public is germane for developing primary prevention programs, early intervention, and community-based treatments.

KW - Attitudes

KW - Behavior

KW - Mental illness

KW - Mentally ill

KW - Public

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85043425034&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.27038-4

DO - 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.27038-4

M3 - Chapter

AN - SCOPUS:85043425034

SN - 9780080970868

SP - 228

EP - 234

BT - International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition

PB - Elsevier Inc.

ER -