Attitudes and beliefs of the French public about schizophrenia and major depression: results from a vignette-based population survey

Abstract

BackgroundIn their study ‘Mental Health in the General Population: Images and Realities’ Jean-Luc Roelandt et al. found a huge divide between the French public’s conceptualizations of insanity and depression. The study aims to examine whether such differences can be replicated using modern operationalized diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder.MethodsIn 2012, an online survey was conducted using a representative sample drawn from the adult French population (N = 1600). After presentation of a case-vignette depicting a person with either schizophrenia or major depressive disorder a fully structured interview was carried out.ResultsDespite some similarities marked differences between both disorders emerge regarding beliefs and attitudes. While respondents presented with the schizophrenia vignette more frequently defined symptoms as the expression of an illness with a stronger biological component and a less favorable prognosis, demanding psychiatric treatment, respondents presented with the depression vignette considered the occurrence of symptoms more frequently as the consequence of current psychosocial stress, benefitting not only from established but also from alternative treatments. People with schizophrenia were more frequently perceived as unpredictable and dangerous, there was a stronger need to separate one-self from them, they were more frequently met with fear and less frequently reacted to with pro-social feelings, and they also faced more rejection.ConclusionsThe French public draws a clear line between schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. This applies equally to beliefs about both disorders and to attitudes towards the persons afflicted. There is a need for interventions trying to reduce existing misconceptions in order to improve the care of patients.

Awareness of mental disorders among youth in Delhi

“…18 More than one third of the students reported that the patients with depression will have a better outcome, if treated, whereas only one third of the students believed that patients with psychosis will have good outcome if treated. This finding is convergent with the results by A F Jorm et al 9,12 and Matthias C Angermeyer et al 19 who reported that the majority of respondents considered that full recovery followed by problems reoccurring would be the most likely outcome for all case vignettes, other than the psychosis case vignette, for which partial recovery with problems reoccurring was considered to be the most likely outcome. Student's belief about possible outcomes for those with mental disorders reflects a less optimistic view especially for psychosis which may be due to the lack of knowledge of causes and risk factors of mental disorders.…”

“…In present study findings indicate that university students primarily cited psychosocial and environmental causes as the possible reasons for the depression and psychosis. The inheritance or genetic cause was not reported to be a reason for depression, but for psychosis over one third endorsed genetic cause, which is consistent with the findings from Bourget et al 15 , Matthias C et al 19 and Jorm et al 9 This can be explained that depression may be considered by the students as an commonest expected mental disorder which occurs in all communities because of routine life activities. Additionally, the present study findings were contradictory to the findings of Yoshibumi Nakane et al 12 and Harshal Salve et al 25 that evil spirits, virus or infection and allergy can be the causative factors.…”

“…These findings were consistent with the previous studies. 15,9,23,24,19 As reported by several studies. 15,9,19 discrimination or social distancing by the young population was reported to be relatively higher for the psychosis vignette than depression vignette, and most of the students perceived people with psychosis as dangerous, unpredictable and there was a stronger need to separate on-self from them.…”

“…15,9,23,24,19 As reported by several studies. 15,9,19 discrimination or social distancing by the young population was reported to be relatively higher for the psychosis vignette than depression vignette, and most of the students perceived people with psychosis as dangerous, unpredictable and there was a stronger need to separate on-self from them. Most of the students in the present study identified, psychosocial factors as reasons such as day-to-day problems (60-80%), death of someone close (68-70%), financial difficulties (60%-80%), traumatic event (60-70%), and problems from childhood (78%) as likely causative factors for both depression and psychosis.…”

“…Present study has contradictory results from the studies 34,25 done in Delhi in which some laypeople preferred treatment from Tantric/Ojha for mental disorders. As reported by most of the previous mental health surveys 14,11,4,12,19 on young population, interpersonal interventions like giving the patient love and affection, listening and trying to understand the problems and making the patient more active physically were endorsed by the students as potentially helpful (80%), than pharmacological interventions for a patient. Use of sleeping pills, vitamins and appetite stimulants were not endorsed by students in the present study which is inconsistent to the other two studies.…”