Attitude of society towards people with mental illness

What is it about?

Attitude of the society towards mentally ill people has definitely passed certain development. Despite psychiatric progress and subsequent care of mentally ill people, as well as identified progress in the society attitudes towards people with mental illness, we can encounter adverse myths, stereotypes and prejudices even in the 21st century (Práznovská, 2001); with fear and social set-back from people with mental illness (Angermeyer & Matschinger, 2005; Ewalds-Kvist, Högberg, & Lützén, 2013) as well as with stigmatization and discrimination of the social group in question; representing one of the major social effects of mental illness (Letovancová, 2014). Since no representative survey of the whole Slovak society attitudes has been conducted in the Slovak conditions that would examine these attitudes, we conducted the first nation-wide survey of the Slovak society attitudes towards people with mental illnesses on the turn of 2015/2016, aimed at ‘identifying the society attitudes towards people with mental illnesses in Slovakia’.

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Why is it important?

Our survey was the first representative survey identifying the Slovak population attitudes towards people with mental illness and their possible correlation with socio-demographic and socio-economic indicators.It points out the need for continuous education within the society in this subject matter. Our findings indicate positive trends in the perception of people with mental illness by the majority public; nevertheless, they identify also stigmatizing attitudes expressed by remarkable part of respondents. We consider our survey the basis for further surveys that will allow for comparison and monitoring of the development of particular Slovak population attitudes. Concurrently, we consider meaningful the application of our findings to educational and anti-stigma campaigns fighting against the prejudice to people with mental illness and striving for establishment of supporting climate so much required for assurance of integration of people with mental illness in the society. Positive opinion climate can be helpful at development of services for people with mental illness, and importance of such services is undoubted.