Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Socioeconomic status and beliefs about depression, schizophrenia and eating disorders

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The association between socioeconomic status (SES) and knowledge/belief about depression, schizophrenia and eating disorders will be analysed.

Methods

Data stem from a telephone survey in two large German cities (Hamburg and Munich, n = 2,014, response rate 51 %). Written vignettes with typical signs and symptoms suggestive of a depression, schizophrenia and eating disorders were presented to the respondents. Respondents were then asked about knowledge/belief about causes, symptoms, prevalence and treatment using a standardised questionnaire. Education, occupational position and income were used as SES indicators.

Results

Results of mixed hierarchal logistic regression analyses show that individuals with a low SES know less about symptoms and prevalences of depression, schizophrenia and eating disorders. Moreover, people with a high SES are more likely to consider medication as effective in case of depression and schizophrenia, but are less likely to believe that activities such as sports or relaxation are an effective measure to treat the three mental disorders under study. Respondents with a high SES are less likely to believe that a weak will is a possible cause of depression, schizophrenia and eating disorders. We found large similarities in the associations between SES and beliefs across the three mental disorders. Finally, associations of beliefs about mental disorders with education are stronger and more consistent than with income and occupational position.

Conclusions

Results indicate an inequality in mental health literacy and underline that information campaigns on causes, symptoms, prevalence and treatment of mental disorders should consider information needs of people with a low SES.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Gender of the “patient” in the depression and schizophrenia vignettes was systematically varied.

  2. For the present analyses answers concerning the two vignettes presenting eating disorders were pooled.

References

  1. Angermeyer MC, Dietrich S (2006) Public beliefs about and attitudes towards people with mental illness: a review of population studies. Acta Psychiatr Scand 113:163–179

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Pescosolido BA, Martin JK, Long JS, Medina TR, Phelan JC, Link BG (2010) “A disease like any other”? A decade of change in public reactions to schizophrenia, depression, and alcohol dependence. Am J Psychiatry 167:1321–1330

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Schomerus G, Schwahn C, Holzinger A, Corrigan PW, Grabe HJ, Carta HG et al (2012) Evolution of public attitudes about mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Acta Psychiatr Scand 125:440–452

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lynch J, Kaplan G (2000) Socioeconomic position. In: Berkman LF, Kawachi I (eds) Social epidemiology. University Press, Oxford, pp 13–35

    Google Scholar 

  5. Jorm AF (2000) Mental health literacy: public knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders. Br J Psychiatry 177:396–401

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lauber C, Falcato L, Nordt C, Rössler W (2003) Lay beliefs about causes of depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 108:96–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Jorm AF, Korten AE, Jacomb PA, Christensen H, Rodgers B, Pollitt P (1997) Public beliefs about causes and risk factors for depression and schizophrenia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 32:143–148

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H (1999) Lay beliefs about mental disorders: a comparison between the western and the eastern part of Germany. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 34:275–281

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mond JM, Hay PJ (2008) Public perceptions of binge eating and its treatment. Int J Eat Disord 41:419–426

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Darby AM, Hay PJ, Mond JM, Quirck F (2012) Community recognition and beliefs about anorexia nervosa and its treatment. Int J Eat Disord 45:120–124

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Geyer S, Hemström Ö, Peter R, Vågerö D (2006) Education, income and occupational class cannot be used interchangeably in social epidemiology. Empirical evidence against an unquestioned practice. J Epidemiol Community Health 60:804–810

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Schomerus G, Matschinger H, Angermeyer MC (2009) The stigma of psychiatric treatment and help-seeking intentions for depression. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 259:298–306

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hegerl U, Althaus D, Stefanek J (2003) Public attitudes towards treatment of depression: effects of an information campaign. Pharmacopsychiatry 36:288–291

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Lauber C, Nordt C, Rössler W (2005) Recommendations of mental health professionals and the general population on how to treat mental disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40:835–843

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Atkinson AB, Rainwater L, Smeeding TM (1995) Income distribution in OECD Countries, OECD Social Policy Studies, No. 18, Paris

  16. Bromet E, Andrade LH, Hwang I, Sampson NA, Alonso J, de Girolamo G et al (2011) Cross-national epidemiology of DSM-IV major depressive episode. BMC Med 9:90

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Robert Koch-Institut (2010a) Gesundheitsberichterstattung des Bundes. Heft 51: depression. RKI/Destatis, Berlin

  18. Robert Koch-Institut (2010b) Gesundheitsberichterstattung des Bundes. Heft 50: Schizophrenie. RKI/Destatis, Berlin

  19. Herpertz S, de Zwaan M, Zipfel S (2008) Handbuch Essstörungen und Adipositas. Springer, Heidelberg

    Book  Google Scholar 

  20. Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H (2003) The stigma of mental illness: effects labelling on public attitudes towards people with mental disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand 108:304–309

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Schlinzig T, Schneiderat G (2009) Möglichkeiten zur Erhöhung der Teilnahmebereitschaft bei Telefonumfragen über Festnetz und Mobilfunk. In: Bacher J, Wolf C, Weichbold M (eds) Umfrageforschung. Herausforderungen und Grenzen, Wiesbaden, pp 21–43

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The study is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (01KQ1002B) in the frame of “psychenet-Hamburg network mental health” (2011–2014). Psychenet is part of the national programme in which the City of Hamburg was given the title “Health Region of the Future” in 2010. The aim of the project is to promote mental health today and in the future, and to achieve an early diagnosis and effective treatment of mental illnesses. Further information and a list of all project partners can be found at http://www.psychenet.de. We would like to thank all respondents for taking part in the study and USUMA (Berlin) for conducting the telephone survey.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Sociology and Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Olaf von dem Knesebeck, Eva Mnich & Christopher Kofahl

  2. Department of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Anne Daubmann & Karl Wegscheider

  3. Centre for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria

    Matthias C. Angermeyer

  4. Psychosis Centre, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Martin Lambert & Anne Karow

  5. Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Martin Härter

Authors
  1. Olaf von dem Knesebeck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eva Mnich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anne Daubmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Karl Wegscheider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Matthias C. Angermeyer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Martin Lambert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Anne Karow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Martin Härter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Christopher Kofahl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Olaf von dem Knesebeck.

Appendix: Vignettes

Appendix: Vignettes

DepressionFootnote 1

A 46-year-old Dagmar D. has been constantly depressed and unhappy for the last few months. She worries about the future. Mrs. D. feels useless, has the impression everything she does is wrong and has lost all interest in everyday activities. Besides, she complains about insomnia and feels nerveless and weak, already in the mornings. Mrs. D’s capability to work turns out to be declining.

Schizophrenia (see footnote 1)

For around half a year now, 19-year-old Sabine S. retreats more and more in herself, avoids all contacts and has the impression that other people can read her mind. She is often scatterbrained and absent-minded. For some time now, Sabine has been feeling threatened and persecuted. She also hears voices which disrupt her thoughts and give her instructions.

Eating disordersFootnote 2

Bulimia nervosa

A 15-year-old Bianca is very unhappy with her physique, even though her body weight is normal. She diets all the time because she wants to lose weight at all costs. Several times a week she experiences sudden cravings for foods, and then she eats big amounts in a short time. After that Bianca secretly vomits by putting a finger down her throat.

Anorexia nervosa

In the last weeks 15-year-old Anna has lost a lot of weight with a strict diet and lots of sports. Her parents’ attempts to persuade her to eat are rejected vehemently by Anna. She herself has the feeling that she is overweight, even though, in the meantime, she is clearly underweight. Additionally, she is very afraid of putting on weight gain.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

von dem Knesebeck, O., Mnich, E., Daubmann, A. et al. Socioeconomic status and beliefs about depression, schizophrenia and eating disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 775–782 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0599-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0599-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation