Summary
A replication survey of public attitudes toward the mentally ill was completed after a decade had elapsed which employed similar measures across the same urban area. Prior research evidence was empirically corroborated which indicated that attitude toward the mentally ill is not a uni-dimensional phenomenon, but is tied to differing social contexts. It does appear that a distinction can be made between attitudes in regard to social relations (personal contact) and social responsibility (impersonal contact). It was found that rejection of the mentally ill in situations of social relations was linked to prior personal experience with mental illness, perceived dangerousness of the mentally ill, and age of the survey respondent. Rejection of the mentally ill in circumstances involving social responsibility contracts (employment, housing, community affairs) was found to be largely tied to education of respondent. No significant differences were found in levels of public rejection of the mentally ill over the comparison ten year period.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aviram U, Segal S (1973) Exclusion of the mentally ill. Arch Gen Psychiatry 29: 126–131
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
Chu FD, Trotter S (1974) The madness establishment. Grossman, New York
Cumming E, Cumming J (1957) Closed ranks: an experiment in mental health education. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass
Currie RF (1986) Selected findings from the 1986 Winnipeg area study. Research report no.12, Sociology Department, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba
D'Arcy C, Brockman J (1976) Changing public recognition of psychiatric symptoms? Blackfoot revisited J Health Soc Behav 17: 302–310
Freeman HE, Kassebaum GG (1960) Relationship of education and knowledge to opinions about mental illness. Ment Hygiene 53: 218–222
Gerbner G (1980) Stigma: social functions of the portrayal of mental illness in the mass media. In: Rabkin JG, Gelb L, Lazar J (eds) Attitudes toward the mentally ill: research perspectives. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, publ. no. (ADM) 80-1031
Hamm B, Currie RF, Forde DR (1988) A dynamic typology of urban neighborhoods: The case of Winnipeg. Can Rev Sociol Anthropol 25
Hollingshead A, Redlich FC (1958) Social class and mental illness. Wiley, New York
Johannsen WJ (1969) Attitudes toward mental patients: a review of empirical research. Merit Hygiene 53: 218–228
Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health (1961) Action for mental health. Basic Books, New York
Kohn ML (1970) Social class and schizophrenia: critical review. In: Wechsler H, Solomon L, Kramer BM. Holt, Social psychology and mental health. Rinehart and Winston, New York
Levinson RM, York MZ (1974) The attribution of ‘dangerousness’ in mental health evaluations. J Health Soc Behav 15: 328–335
Link BG, Cullen FT (1986) Contact with the mentally ill and perceptions of how dangerous they are. J Health Soc Behav 27: 289–303
Nunnally J (1961) Popular conceptions of mental health: their development and change. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York
Phillips DL (1963) Rejection: a possible consequence of seeking help for mental disorders. Am Social Rev 28: 963–972
Phillips DL (1964) Rejection of the mentally ill: the influence of behavior and sex. Am Sociol Rev 29: 679–687
Phillips DL (1967) Education, psychiatric sophistication, and the rejection of mentally ill help-seekers. Social Q 8: 122–132
Phillips JG (1972) Identification of mental illness: its consequences for rejection. Community Merit Health J 3: 262–266
Rabkin JG (1972) Opinions about mental illness: a review of the literature. Psychol Bull 77: 153–171
Rabkin JG (1974) Public attitudes towards mental illness: a review of the literature. Schizophr Bull 10: 9–33
Roman PM, Floyd HH (1981) Social acceptance of psychiatric illness and psychiatric treatment. Soc Psychiatry 16: 21–29
Segal SP (1978) Attitudes toward the mentally ill: a review. Soc Work 23: 211–217
Smith CJ, Hanham RQ (1981) Proximity and the formation of public attitudes towards mental illness. Environ Planning 13: 147–165
Steadman HJ (1981) Critically reassessing the accuracy of public perceptions of the dangerousness of the mentally ill. J Health Soc Behav 22: 310–316
Taylor SM, Hall GB, Hughes RC Dear MJ (1984) Predicting community reaction to mental health facilities. Am Planning Assoc J 50: 36–47
Trute B, Loewen A (1978) Public attitudes toward the mentally ill as a function of prior personal experience. Soc Psychiatry 13: 79–84
Trute B, Segal SP (1976) Census tract predictors and the social integration of sheltered care residents. Soc Psychiatry 11: 153–161
Whatley CD (1959) Social attitudes toward discharged mental patients. Soc Problems 6: 313–330
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by grant # 6607-1395-42 from the National Health Research and Development Program, Health and Welfare Canada
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Trute, B., Tefft, B. & Segall, A. Social rejection of the mentally ill: A replication study of public attitude. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 24, 69–76 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01788629
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01788629