David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Attitudes Toward Mental Illness
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Association of County Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability Directors, National Institute of Mental Health, The Carter Center Mental Health Program
November 2012
People?s beliefs and attitudes toward mental illness set the stage for how they interact with, provide opportunities for, and help support a person with mental illness. Attitudes and beliefs about mental illness are shaped by personal knowledge, knowing and interacting with someone living with mental illness, cultural stereotypes, and other factors.
Stigma has been described as "a cluster of negative attitudes and beliefs that motivate the general public to fear, reject, avoid, and discriminate against people with mental illnesses" (President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003). When stigma leads to social exclusion or discrimination, whether from mental illness or some other condition, it results in unequal access to resources that all people need to function well, adversely affecting quality of life.
This report examines individual and state-level predictors of attitudes toward mental illness to highlight subgroups that might benefit from educational programs and services.
Report Background
Results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ? 2007, 2009
In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) collaborated to track state-level attitudes toward mental illness. Following recommendations from the 2002 President?s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, these agencies sought to examine public perceptions regarding treatment effectiveness and perceptions regarding people being caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness. This collaboration paralleled the release of a SAMHSA national anti-stigma campaign, What a Difference a Friend Makes, designed to help young adults support friends with a mental health problem. Two questions that asked about attitudes toward mental illness, along with other questions about mental illness symptoms, were included on the CDC-supported Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). These questions comprised the BRFSS Mental Illness and Stigma Module.
Attitudes were assessed by asking respondents to indicate their level of agreement with two statements. The first statement assessed attitudes toward the effectiveness of treatment: "Treatment can help people with mental illness lead normal lives." The second statement assessed the respondent's perception of public attitudes toward persons with mental illness: "People are generally caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness."
In 2007, 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico received SAMHSA support to collect data using the BRFSS Mental Illness and Stigma Module, and, in 2009, 16 states received support to do so. While a 2010 CDC study published in the MMWR(CDC, 2010) described some limited findings, the goals of this study were to expand on the previous analysis to (1) provide state-level estimates of attitudes toward mental illness by select sociodemographic factors, mental illness symptoms, and mental health treatment; (2) examine individual (e.g., age, race/ethnicity) and state-level predictors (e.g., per capita expenditures on mental health services; the average annual unemployment rate; and exposure to the What a Difference a Friend Makes campaign) on attitudes toward mental illness; (3) highlight population subgroups who strongly disagree with the statements (i.e., a vulnerable group) for each state; and (4) provide resources and strategies for targeting these groups, and combating stigma in general.
Summary of Findings
This study found that most adults (>80%) in the states surveyed agreed that mental illness treatment is effective, but substantially fewer adults (35%?67%) agreed that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness.
Some population subgroups (e.g., black, non-Hispanic adults, Hispanic adults, those with less than a high school education) were more likely to strongly disagree that treatment is effective.
Women, adults with chronic disease (e.g., arthritis, heart disease), and adults who were unemployed or unable to work were more likely to strongly disagree that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness.
In general, adults with mental illness symptoms, including those receiving treatment for a mental health problem were less likely to agree that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness. Adults who lived in states with higher per capita expenditures on mental health services were more likely to agree that treatment is effective, and were more likely to report receiving treatment.
Adults who lived in areas with more mental health professionals were more likely to agree that other people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness.
Young adults (ages 18?24) who lived in states with greater donated media time for SAMHSA?s What a Difference a Friend Makes campaign were more likely to agree that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness.
Reference
New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America. Final Report. DHHS Pub. No. SMA-03-3832. Rockville, MD: 2003. View report. Html PDF
[1.35MB]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Association of County Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability Directors, National Institute of Mental Health, The Carter Center Mental Health Program
November 2012
People?s beliefs and attitudes toward mental illness set the stage for how they interact with, provide opportunities for, and help support a person with mental illness. Attitudes and beliefs about mental illness are shaped by personal knowledge, knowing and interacting with someone living with mental illness, cultural stereotypes, and other factors.
Stigma has been described as "a cluster of negative attitudes and beliefs that motivate the general public to fear, reject, avoid, and discriminate against people with mental illnesses" (President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003). When stigma leads to social exclusion or discrimination, whether from mental illness or some other condition, it results in unequal access to resources that all people need to function well, adversely affecting quality of life.
This report examines individual and state-level predictors of attitudes toward mental illness to highlight subgroups that might benefit from educational programs and services.
- Main Report
[3.68MB] (excluding appendices) - Appendix A: Mental Health-related and BRFSS Indicators (View Download
[517.71KB] ) - Appendix B: State-specific Data Tables (View Download
[4.99MB] ) - Complete Report
[8.73MB]
Report Background
Results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ? 2007, 2009
In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) collaborated to track state-level attitudes toward mental illness. Following recommendations from the 2002 President?s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, these agencies sought to examine public perceptions regarding treatment effectiveness and perceptions regarding people being caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness. This collaboration paralleled the release of a SAMHSA national anti-stigma campaign, What a Difference a Friend Makes, designed to help young adults support friends with a mental health problem. Two questions that asked about attitudes toward mental illness, along with other questions about mental illness symptoms, were included on the CDC-supported Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). These questions comprised the BRFSS Mental Illness and Stigma Module.
Attitudes were assessed by asking respondents to indicate their level of agreement with two statements. The first statement assessed attitudes toward the effectiveness of treatment: "Treatment can help people with mental illness lead normal lives." The second statement assessed the respondent's perception of public attitudes toward persons with mental illness: "People are generally caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness."
In 2007, 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico received SAMHSA support to collect data using the BRFSS Mental Illness and Stigma Module, and, in 2009, 16 states received support to do so. While a 2010 CDC study published in the MMWR(CDC, 2010) described some limited findings, the goals of this study were to expand on the previous analysis to (1) provide state-level estimates of attitudes toward mental illness by select sociodemographic factors, mental illness symptoms, and mental health treatment; (2) examine individual (e.g., age, race/ethnicity) and state-level predictors (e.g., per capita expenditures on mental health services; the average annual unemployment rate; and exposure to the What a Difference a Friend Makes campaign) on attitudes toward mental illness; (3) highlight population subgroups who strongly disagree with the statements (i.e., a vulnerable group) for each state; and (4) provide resources and strategies for targeting these groups, and combating stigma in general.
Summary of Findings
This study found that most adults (>80%) in the states surveyed agreed that mental illness treatment is effective, but substantially fewer adults (35%?67%) agreed that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness.
Some population subgroups (e.g., black, non-Hispanic adults, Hispanic adults, those with less than a high school education) were more likely to strongly disagree that treatment is effective.
Women, adults with chronic disease (e.g., arthritis, heart disease), and adults who were unemployed or unable to work were more likely to strongly disagree that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness.
In general, adults with mental illness symptoms, including those receiving treatment for a mental health problem were less likely to agree that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness. Adults who lived in states with higher per capita expenditures on mental health services were more likely to agree that treatment is effective, and were more likely to report receiving treatment.
Adults who lived in areas with more mental health professionals were more likely to agree that other people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness.
Young adults (ages 18?24) who lived in states with greater donated media time for SAMHSA?s What a Difference a Friend Makes campaign were more likely to agree that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness.
Reference
New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America. Final Report. DHHS Pub. No. SMA-03-3832. Rockville, MD: 2003. View report. Html PDF
[1.35MB]
