Abstract
Based on the results of two population surveys conducted in Germany during 1990 and 1993, we examined to what extent personal experience with mental illness might influence attitudes towards the mentally ill. Respondents familiar with mental illness displayed prosocial reactions more frequently than those without any personal experience. They also tended to react less fearfully. There were only small differences, if any, as far as the tendency to respond with aggression was concerned. People with personal experience tended less to adopt an antipathetic and distancing attitude towards individuals suffering from mental disorders. Our results are all the more persuasive as we were able to demonstrate this relationship between personal experience with and attitude towards mental illness for two independent samples. There were indications that personal exposure to mental illness exerts a positive influence on a person's attitude towards the disorder and that our findings were not merely the results of possible selection effects, that is to say, that individuals with a more positive attitude towards the mentally ill would have been more inclined to stay in touch with the latter, therefore having greater experience with mental illness.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brockington IF et al (1993) The community's tolerance of the mentally ill. Br J Psychiatry 162: 93–99
Brockman J, D'Arcy C (1978) Correlates of attitudinal social distance toward the mentally ill: a review and re-survey. Soc Psychiatry 13: 69–77
Gifi A (1990) Non-linear multivariate analysis. Wiley, Chichester
Link BG, Cullen FT (1986) Contact with the mentally ill and perceptions of how dangerous they are. J Health Soc Behav 27: 289–303
Penn DL et al (1994) Dispelling the stigma of schizophrenia: what sort of information is best? Schizophr Bull 20: 567–578
Taylor MS, Dear MS (1981) Scaling community attitudes toward the mentally ill. Schizophr Bull 7: 225–240
Trute B, Loewen A (1978) Public attitude toward the mentally ill as a function of prior personal experience. Soc Psychiatry 13: 79–84
Trute B et al (1989) Social rejection of the mentally ill: a replication study of public attitude. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr, Epidemiol 24: 69–76
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Angermeyer, M.C., Matschinger, H. The effect of personal experience with mental illness on the attitude towards individuals suffering from mental disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 31, 321–326 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00783420
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00783420