Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mental health-related stigma is a major public health issue, and is an obstacle to the possibility for successful treatment, recovery, and reintegration.
AIM: To examine attitudes towards mental illness among employees in the social services.
METHODS: The study design was part of a large randomized trial, and data presented in this study are baseline data from this trial. Respondents completed a baseline questionnaire to assess the respondents' attitudes.
RESULTS: A significant difference was found between employees' personal attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia. The same significant difference was found in the employees' perceived attitudes. Furthermore, a significant difference was found between the employees' personal and perceived attitudes. A significant difference was found between the respondents wish for social distance towards depression and schizophrenia in all cases, except regarding the willingness to provide a job at one's own workplace.
CONCLUSION: Employees in the social services are comparable to the general public concerning attitudes towards mental illness.
IMPLICATIONS: The results indicate that the employees in social services could have great use of gaining more knowledge about mental illness and ways in which to recognize a mental illness, in order to be able to offer the right kind of help and reduce the treatment gap concerning people suffering from mental illness.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Nordic Journal of Psychiatry |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 165-170 |
| ISSN | 0803-9488 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Apr 2017 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Attitude of Health Personnel
- Denmark
- Depressive Disorder
- Female
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
- Schizophrenia
- Social Stigma
- Social Work
