Public perceptions, knowledge and stigma towards people with schizophrenia
| Pages | 45-56 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17465721111134547 |
| Date | 15 March 2011 |
| Published date | 15 March 2011 |
| Author | Valerie Smith,Jairus Reddy,Kenneth Foster,Edward T. Asbury,Jennifer Brooks |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Review
Public perceptions, knowledge and stigma
towards people with schizophrenia
Valerie Smith, Jairus Reddy, Kenneth Foster, Edward T. Asbury and Jennifer Brooks
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to obtain perceptions of educated non-professionals towards
people with schizophrenia.
Design/methodology/approach – A social distance scale and a schizophrenia knowledge and attitude
survey were administered to 330 undergraduates. It was predicted that knowledge and personal family
experience would predict tolerance attitudes and social distance comfort towards persons with
schizophrenia.
Findings – Knowledge about schizophrenia and personal family experience with mental illness had
similar effects on tolerance scores. Specifically, those with higher knowledge and family members with
schizophrenia reported higher levels of tolerance(i.e. less stigma). Conversely, participants with a family
member diagnosed with a mental illness reported less social distance comfort to persons with
schizophrenia as opposed to those without mental illness in the family. Finally, gender differences
indicated that women held more tolerant attitudes towards schizophrenia compared with men.
Originality/value – Few studies have focused on educated non-professional perceptions and attitudes
towards the mentally ill.
Keywords Individual perception, Attitudes, Mental illness
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Social stigmas targeting those who behave ‘‘abnormally’’, have been around for centuries.
Many of these stigmas are aimed towards the mentally ill and people with schizophrenia
represent a significant target. There is a fair amount of consensus within the psychological
community that social stigma is a phenomenon that influences how we think about and
behave towards individuals who are targets of stigmas (Angermayer and Matschinger, 2003;
Goffman, 1974; Katz, 1981; Link et al., 1999; Link and Phelan, 2001; Pescosolido et al., 1999).
A meta-analysis of more than 60 population studies, mostly from Europe (Angermeyer and
Dietrich, 2006), suggests that while such studies have provided much needed insight on
public attitudes, much remains unanswered. As such, attitudes and behaviors of the public
towards people with schizophrenia represent an area in need of increased attention and
examination. Stigmas target factors such as gender, skin color, religious beliefs, sexual
orientation, disability or having a physical illness such as acquired immuno deficiency
syndrome or a mental illness such as schizophrenia. A stigmatized individual becomes
immediately vulnerable to pre-existing social schemas. As such, even prior to diagnosis, the
individual often is labeled and saddled with a relatively toxic social identity that may
profoundly interfere with their daily life (Link et al., 1999). Stigmas directed towards the
mentally ill, tend to be motivated not only by fear and ignorance, but based on societal
power relations, wherein the targets have relatively less power,i.e. relatively few resources or
DOI 10.1108/17465721111134547 VOL. 10 NO. 1 2011, pp. 45-56, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-5729
j
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH
j
PAGE 45
ValerieSmith is based at the
Department of Social
Sciences, Endicott College,
Beverly, Massachusetts,
USA. Jairus Reddy,
Kenneth Foster and
Edward T. Asbury are
based at Texas Woman’s
University, Denton, Texas,
USA. Jennifer Brooks is
based at Collin County
Community College,
McKinney,
Texas, USA.
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