Community attitudes to mental illness in Edinburgh.

Media presentation of the mental health bill and representations of mental health problems

“…Much of this research suggests that, as is found in other work on public understanding of mental ill health (Appleby & Wessley, 1988;Maclean, 1969;Scheff, 1966), mental health problems are twinned with violence, dangerousness and criminality (Cutcliffe & Hannigan, 2001) in the media.…”

Understanding and addressing the stigma of mental illness with ethnic minority communities

“…Dangerousness remains a commonly reported belief in public surveys and in the media, along with notions that people are to blame for their condition, are unwilling or unable to work, make little social contribution and are unsuitable as partners (Knifton & Quinn, 2008). Beliefs about danger increased as we moved from institutions to community care, with a shift from 'becoming mad' to 'fear of the other' (Maclean, 1969). Danger and unpredictability remain highly associated with people with severe and enduring mental illnesses including psychoses and schizophrenia.…”

Causes and psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia: the opinions of Italian population

“…Nei paesi occidentali, la schizofrenia viene prevalentemente considerata come conseguenza di fattori socio-ambientali o di caratteristiche psicologiche individuali (Matschinger & Angermeyer, 1996;Jorm et al, 1997a;Jorm, 2000). Una percentuale compresa tra il 66 e 1'83% della popolazione ritiene le malattie mentali una conseguenza dello stress, mentre, in contrasto con il modello biopsicosociale prevalente tra gli operatori psichiatrici (McLean, 1969;MORI, 1979;Jorm et al, 1997b;Magliano et al, 2002), una piu scarsa rilevanza viene attribuita ai fattori biologici. 3) Opinioni sui trattamenti.…”