The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 194: 278-284. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.052654
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Public attitudes towards people with mental illness in England and Scotland, 1994–2003

Nisha Mehta, BSc, Aliya Kassam, MSc, Morven Leese, PhD, Georgia Butler, BSc and Graham Thornicroft, PhD

Section of Community Mental Health, Health Service and Population Health Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.

Correspondence: Graham Thornicroft, Section of Comunity Mental Health, Health Service and Population Health Research Department, PO Box 29, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK. Email: g.thornicroft{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk

Declaration of Interest

A.K. is supported by an educational grant from Lundbeck UK. Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

Background

Understanding trends in public attitudes towards people with mental illness informs the assessment of ongoing severity of stigma and evaluation of anti-stigma campaigns.

Aims

To analyse trends in public attitudes towards people with mental illness in England and Scotland using Department of Health Attitudes to Mental Illness Surveys, 1994–2003.

Method

We analysed trends in attitudes for 2000 respondents in each survey year (6000 respondents in 1996 and 1997) using quota sampling methods and the adapted Community Attitudes Toward the Mentally Ill scale.

Results

Comparing 2000 and 2003, there was significant deterioration for 17/25 items in England and for 4/25 items in Scotland. Neither country showed significant improvements in items between 2000 and 2003.

Conclusions

Public attitudes towards people with mental illness in England and Scotland became less positive during 1994–2003, especially in 2000–2003, and to a greater extent in England. The results are consistent with early positive effects for the `see me' anti-stigma campaign in Scotland.


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